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FIRSTS. 



From "The Wheel," June, 1889. 

The first bicycle rider in this country was Alfred D. Chandler, now 
an eminent Boston lawyer, July, 1877. 

The first bicycle made in this country — 1877 — cost $313, and 
weighed anywhere between a hundredweight and a ton. 

The first racing wheel owned in the country was an Eclipse racer, 
twenty-seven pounds, sold by John Keen to C. K. Biilings, of New 
Haven. 

The League was organized at Newport, May 31, 1880. The idea 
of a League was conceived by Charles E. Pratt, and the call for the 
meeting was issued by C. K. Munroe, then Captain of the New York 
Bicycle Club. 

The first remarkable ride was W. R. Pitman's tour from Boston to 
Haverhill, 42 2-3 miles, in 5I1. 40m. 

The first amateur race was run at Lynn, Mass., July 4, 1878, and 
was won by W. R. Pitman. 

A. T. Lane, of Montreal, brought the first bicycle into Canada, 

1874. 

The first decision on the status of a cycle was given March 25, 
1879, in England. 

Central Park, New York, was first invaded against the law July 
i, 1881, by S. Conant Foster, W. M. Wright, and H. H. Walker. 

The League gained its first legal victory, 1880. 

The first American decision defining the cycle as a carriage was 
given May 29, 1877. 

The Pope Manufacturing Company's first shipment of wheels was 
" Duplex Excelsiors," January, 1878. 

The first number of an American cycle journal was published 
December 22, 1877. 

The Boston Club was the first wheel organization, February, 1878. 

The first bicycle made, a "boneshaker," was exhibited at the Paris 
Exposition, 1865. Lallement exhibited wheel of same type at New 
Haven, 1866. 



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AN INDISPENSABLE HANDBOOK 
FOR CYCLISTS 



WITH OVER TWO HUNDRED ILLUSTRATIONS 





BY 

LUTHER H. PORTER 

Ex-Representative New Jersey Division , L. A. W., Ex-President Orange 
Wanderers, Ex-President East Orange Cyclers 

Author of " Cycling for Health and Pleasure " 



-»f." 

MAY LI, H 

BOSTON 
WHEELMAN COMPANY 

12 Peari. Street 
1892. 



Copyright, 1892, 

BY 

LUTHER H. PORTER. 




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See page xiv. 

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W. J. Hutchins, Expert Mechanical Engineer, 

Wichita, Kans., writes : 

" During last fall and this winter, I examined into the con- 
struction and principles of the different makes of wheels, with the 
intention of purchasing one, and as I am somewhat large, weigh- 
ing 230 pounds, the mechanical structure, material, and strength 
has been a series of features which I have regarded carefully. The 
result of my investigation is simply this : I have found so many 
superior points in the mechanical construction of the Rambler 
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under my weight." 



WEZi-' 



asss 



PREFACE. 



Within the last five years cycling has attained the 
dignity of being the most popular form of outdoor 
recreation indulged in by Americans as well as by Eng- 
lishmen. The phenomenal growth, by means of 
which this has been attained, has been due to three 
causes, viz.: (i) Cycling is the most agreeable and 
exhilarating form of exercise yet discovered; (2) it 
is a perfectly practicable, very easy, and thoroughly 
enjoyable method of locomotion ; and (3) it is rap- 
idly coming to be recognized by the medical fraternity 
as far and away the most beneficial form of exercise 
for the greatest number, including both sexes and all 
ages. 

Upon the last of these causes, too much emphasis 
can hardly be put, as most people find it simply im- 
possible to believe, without personal experience, or 
close observation of the experience of others, what 
remarkable results are accomplished by the use of the 
wheel. Nevertheless, there now exists abundant evi- 
dence to show that its regular employment completely 
drives away dyspepsia and its allied miseries; entirely 
banishes all varieties of headache; cures insomnia; 
removes nervous prostration ; improves rheumatism, 
sciatica, and such difficulties, and often cures them, 



Vlll PREFACE. 

and imparts a vigorous tone to the whole system. 
And the medicine which does all this possesses the 
qualities of being the better liked, and of becoming the 
more beneficial, the more it is taken. Bearing all 
these facts in mind, it is only reasonable to predict 
that the use of "the wheel" is destined to become 
practically universal. 

The growth of the sport has naturally been accom- 
panied by the development of a literature regarding it, 
in the form of weekly and monthly periodicals, and in 
volumes treating of its various phases. Poetry, fic- 
tion, travel, health and pleasure, practical instruction, 
touring guides, good roads, and the mechanics of the 
wheel have all received attention ; but, heretofore, 
there has been no attempt made to collect and record 
all that has been accomplished in cycling, and this the 
present volume essays to do. 

On such a subject as this, mere verbal explanations 
and definitions count as little, and statements of facts 
and results fail to be perfectly intelligible, unless the 
objects referred to are shown by illustrations. In 
every cycle there are numerous points which immedi- 
ately catch the eye, but which even the most elaborate 
explanations fail to make clear to the reader unless 
he is trained in the use of mechanical descriptions. 
Consequently, illustrations, copiously used, are an in- 
valuable feature of a work on this subject, and two 
hundred and sixteen of them find place in the text of 
this volume. They have been gathered freely from 
both foreign and domestic sources, including periodi- 
cal publications, and nearly all the volumes devoted 
to the subject which have been issued. The larger 



PREFACE. IX 

part of them have been reproduced especially for this 
work. 

The writer's, experience began with the use of the 
two-wheeled velocipede, or "boneshaker," in 1870, 
and he commenced to ride the high bicycle in 1880. 
Since then he has entered into every phase of the 
sport, and owned, or ridden, nearly every type of 
machine. The changes that have taken place in this 
period have been many and great, and old things have 
very generally passed away. In fact, so obsolete are 
many of the types that were common only five years 
ago, that but a very small proportion of those now rid- 
ing ever heard of them, and much less saw them. 

In the " History of the Bicycle," the development of 
the two-wheeled machine is shown from the earliest 
times down to the novelties of 1892. In the chapter 
on Tricycles, early machines are illustrated, and a 
specimen of each of the later types that ever got a 
real foothold is given. Specimens of all types of 
Sociables and Tandem Tricycles are shown, and a 
very full list of Tandem Bicycles is illustrated. 

But beside the machines which naturally find place 
in a systematic account of the three great families, 
there have been hosts of others, which have differed 
from the regular patterns in one or more particulars. 
In some cases, these points of divergence were slight, 
and of no great moment, while in others they were 
radical, and wholly changed the character of the ma- 
chine. In many instances the cycles produced were 
practical, and sometimes quite successful, but in 
other cases the reverse was true. A large number of 
these machines have been brought together under the 



X PREFACE. 

title of Peculiar Cycles, this name merely indicating 
that they do not strictly belong to any regular type. 

In cycling, the question of vibration is one of great 
importance, and has given rise to many inventions 
designed to protect riders from the jar occasioned in 
riding. The various designs applicable to this pur- 
pose are brought together in the chapter on Anti- 
Vibration Devices. 

Since 1890 the subject of chief importance has been 
that of tires, and the market has been flooded with 
new cushions and pneumatics. About seventy varieties 
of these are described in the chapter on Pneumatic and 
Cushion Tires, and over sixty of them are illustrated. 

In all these chapters the descriptions of machines, 
anti-vibration designs, and tires, are taken from orig- 
inal sources, as far as it has been possible to get access 
to them. In most cases the descriptive and explana- 
tory matter is directly from the catalogues or lists of 
the manufacturers; and in nearly ail remaining cases 
it is from some handbook of the sport, or the notices 
furnished to the press, for many of the objects de- 
scribed are no longer made, and the only existing 
descriptions of them are found in such sources. In 
some instances, manufacturers have supplied explana- 
tions that have not appeared elsewhere. 

The chapter on Macadam Roads was compiled by 
the writer in 1887, when he was chairman of the road 
committee of the Orange Wanderers, and was first 
printed in the L. A. W. Bulletin in August of that 
year. The information concerning the League has 
been kindly prepared by Secretary Bassett. Atten- 
tion is called to it, and wheelmen are requested to 



PREFACE. XI 

consider the advantage to cycling which the League 
has been, and to join the organization. 

It was originally hoped that it would be possible to 
present a reasonably full account of the trade in this 
country; but responses to repeated requests for in- 
formation were so incomplete and unsatisfactory that 
it became necessary to treat only of the advertisers. 
They have themselves, for the most part, furnished 
the matter descriptive of their respective houses. 

The Cycle Directory will be found a novel and 
interesting feature. The list comprises the names of 
all machines that have ever been sold in this country, 
so far as it has been possible to secure them, and con- 
tains over three hundred and fifty titles, together 
with the names of the manufacturers and importers. 

Tables of American and English Records up to 
January i, 1892, are also given. 

The work of collecting the facts and illustrations 
contained in this volume has been extremely inter- 
esting, though oftentimes difficult. It was necessary 
to gather them from many widely separated sources, 
and considerable difficulty was sometimes experienced 
in tracing and securing illustrations of some peculiar 
machines that were known to have existed. In some 
few cases it proved impossible to obtain them, but 
these omissions are generally of long forgotten and 
impracticable machines. No attempt has been made 
to reproduce the many curious and useless inventions 
that have been patented, but which have rarely reached 
the first stages of manufacture. All the wheels and 
devices here shown (except perhaps some of the new 
tires) have, it is believed, actually been made and used. 



Xll PREFACE. 

In order to carry out the plan of this volume, and 
make it complete in all the departments of cycling 
with which it deals, it has proved necessary to 
increase its size over that of " Cycling for Health 
and Pleasure." This book contains two hundred and 
sixteen illustrations in the text, and nearly double as 
much matter as the other work. But nothing could 
well be omitted. The chapter on Tires is the longest 
one, but it includes only what makers and users of 
tires need to know as to the construction and care of 
such as are before the public, and it affords oppor- 
tunity for a comparison of the different varieties that 
can be secured in no other way. The other chapters 
are similarly comprehensive in their scope, and place 
before the reader the products of the remarkable 
ingenuity which has been applied to cycling since the 
inception of the sport. 



THE COVENTRY 
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When You Buy a Pneumatic, Buy a Pneumatic. 

There are so many inflated cushion tires masquerading as pneumatics, that this 
admonition is not as queer as may seem at first blush. In a true pneumatic, how- 
ever, there are certain inviolable principles, which simply must be followed, 
to wit : 

It must have a removable air tube. 

It must be flexible and yielding. 

It must be resilient. 

It must be compact and light. 

It must be simple and capable of easy and rapid repair. 

It must be attached to the rim in a simple and effective manner. 

It should be so constructed as to minimize the liability to dangerous side slips. 

The sides must be thin and flexible, even the tread portion must be rather thin 
than otherwise. 

It must sit in a flat or nearly flat rim, so that the whole tire will be available for 
cushioning purposes. 





THE G. & J. PNEUMATIC. 



We ask you to note how well these principles are followed in the G. &. J. Pneu- 
matic : Note the construction of the rim, the simple and effective manner in which 
the tire is attached to the rim ; note how much of the tire is available for cushion- 
ing purposes, likewise the corrugated surface for preventing side-slipping. Bear 
in mind that no thin rubber tube under high pressure is absolutely proof against 
puncture and explosion, and that, therefore, facility for repair is an all-important 
consideration, and note the sublime simplicity of our tire — the entire absence of 
rag flaps, strings, wires, hooks, bolts, etc., and that in consequence facility for 
repair is a chief characteristic. 

It can be removed, repaired, and replaced within four minutes, and we are in 
position to fit them to any make of wheel. 

IT IS, INDEED, A TIRE DISTINCTLY GREAT. 

GORMULLYTJEFFERY MFG. CO,, 



Branches : 
Boston, New York, "Washington. 



£g}I. Franklin St., CHICAGO. 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE 

Cycling in the United States, i 

League of American Wheelmen, io 

Macadam Roads, 27 

History of the Bicycle, 32 Illustrations, . . 36 

Tricycles, 16 " . . 96 

Sociables and Tandems, 20 " . .117 

Peculiar Cycles, 34 . . 139 

Anti-Vibration Devices : . 182 

American Designs, 14 " . . 186 

English Designs, 38 *' . 207 

Pneumatic and Cushion Tires, 62 " . 237 

Our Advertisers, „ . 337 

Cycle Directory, . . . . . . . 372 

Directory to Advertisers, 391 



"TOP* 
WARWICK 



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BUILT DN HONOR 



WARWICK CYCL E 
MFC CD 



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WHEELS AND WHEELING. 



CYCLING IN THE UNITED STATES. 

CYCLING in the United States began its career in 
1876 with a small display of foreign bicycles at 
the Centennial Exhibition, and the riding of two or 
three men who brought over bicycles from abroad. 
Nearly eight years had elapsed since the craze over the 
velocipede had excited interest in man-driven vehicles, 
and in that interval the old machines had entirely 
disappeared, save for one here and there in the hands 
of a boy. There were, however, quite a number of 
young men who had not forgotten the object of their 
former interest, and a few of them had heard some- 
thing of the improvements that had taken place 
abroad; so, when they saw the first real bicycle, they 
were ready to welcome it and, when they once had 
opportunity to try it, their enthusiasm was rekindled 
by its great superiority over their former mount. In 
fact many of the earliest of our bicycle riders came 
from the ranks of the old velocipedists. 

In the course of a year there was aroused some little 
interest in the new vehicle, which, it transpired, was 
quite popular abroad, and an agency in Baltimore, 
Timms & Co., imported a number of wheels. Refer- 



2 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

ring to these small beginnings, one of the earliest of 
American wheelmen, C. E. Pratt, recorded in 1879 
what was taking place. Such contemporary evidence 
is of great interest. He says: 

"In the year 1877 an eminent young lawyer of Bos- 
ton began to seek his lost health on one of the steel 
and rubber steeds, and became the pioneer rider of 
the modern bicycle in Massachusetts. In the same 
year a prominent architect from the same city did 
likewise, and induced others to join him in the diver- 
sion. Other machines were at once wanted. In 
November, 1877, the new firm of Cunningham, 
Heath & Co., since changed to Cunningham & Co., 
commenced to import and sell the best English makes 
of bicycles, which found a ready market and caused 
orders to come in faster than they could be filled. 
This firm thus became the pioneer importing firm, and 
they soon opened a commodious riding school in con- 
nection with their business at 22 Pearl Street, Boston; 
and by this means, and by liberal advertising and 
generous enterprise, they gave an immediate and pros- 
perous impetus to the new cause. 

"On the 2 2d of December, 1877, there appeared a 
sprightly bi-weekly periodical of sixteen quarto pages, 
The American Bicycling Journal, published in Bos- 
ton; and edited by Frank W. Weston, afterward the 
genial secretary of the Boston Bicycle Club. This 
was the pioneer paper devoted to the new interest, and 
is still [1879] the only one. The club referred to was 
organized in February, 1878, and is the pioneer club 
in this country, though it was not long left to be the 
only one. 



CYCLING IN THE UNITED STATES. 3 

"But the gentlemen composing the firm to which I 
have alluded, though the first actually in the field, 
were not alone in forecasting and preparing for the 
new industry here ; nor would the incipient demand 
for the bicycle have utterly failed of a supply had 
they not stepped forward at that time. For, early in 
the summer of 1877, a visiting English manufacturer 
had a bicycle made as well as he could here, rode it 
some, and interested in the possibilities of it for this 
country one of Boston's most enterprising merchants, 
Colonel Albert A. Pope. This gentleman at once took 
steps toward importing and introducing the new 
machine. He paid a visit to the leading establish- 
ments in London and Coventry, and made himself 
thoroughly acquainted with the practical construction 
of the bicycle, and the methods, machinery, and tools 
used by the best makers. In January, 1878, the Pope 
Manufacturing Company v of which he is president, 
opened warerooms for the sale of imported bicycles, 
and a commodious riding school in connection with 
them, at 87 Summer Street, Boston, and made this the 
leading department of their business. So promising 
was the outlook for the new industry that they soon 
entered upon the manufacture of the machines, and 
from their manufactory in Connecticut turned out the 
Columbia 

"It is to be said that this latest development of the 
use of the bipedaliferous wheel in the United States is 
no 'mania,' and is without any symptoms of a fever. 
It has been taken up in a quiet and considerate way, 
mostly by those who needed it for healthful exercise 
or a practical vehicle. The spread of it in a year and 



4 WHEELS AND WHEELING, 

a half to the hands of about five hundred riders has 
been attended with steadily increasing satisfaction to 
those who own them, and with a very favorable, 
though cautious, reception of it by the general public, 
as one of the permanent acquisitions of the age." 

To an enthusiastic wheelman of 1879, the stability 
and permanence of cycling seemed assured by the fact 
that some five hundred wheels were in use. The 
rapid growth of the next ten years could not be fore- 
seen, while the enormous increase after 1888 would 
have then seemed simply incredible. 

Before 1880 there were several parties producing 
bicycles in this country. In 1878 the Pope Manufac- 
turing Company began to have Columbias built at 
Hartford. A member of the Gormully & Jeffery 
Manufacturing Company commenced to build bicycles 
at Chicago in 1879. R. H. Hodgson, of Newton 
Upper Falls, Mass., produced a few machines, which 
he called the Newton Challenge, soon after followed 
by others called the Velocity; but, in 1880, he sold 
out to McKee & Harrington, of New York, who soon 
after brought out a machine called the Union. E. J. 
Philbrick, of Salem, Mass., also made some machines, 
and a few others are said to have done the same in a 
very small way. 

During 1879 several foreign professional riders vis- 
ited this country under the charge of Harry Ethering- 
ton, afterward editor of Wheeling, and engaged in a 
number of interesting competitions here, making times 
which were most creditable, and arousing consider- 
able interest in the sport. A number of amateur com- 
petitions had also taken place during 1879, an ^ in 



CYCLING IN THE UNITED STA TES. 5 

February, 1880, came the fifty miles' race in the 
American Institute building, New York, which was 
won in good time by L. H. Johnson, of Orange, N. J. 

The pastime was now beginning to become popular; 
it was represented in the press by an active organ, and 
clubs were being formed in many places. What was 
next required seemed to be some general organization 
which would represent the wheelmen of the whole 
country, and work for their general interests. This 
was secured, early in 1880, by the formation of the 
League of American Wheelmen, which is the national 
organization of the cyclists of America, and is de- 
scribed in another chapter. 

From this time on, the cycling interests of this 
country moved forward with a steady, uniformly 
accelerated motion. Where good roads existed, espe- 
cially around Boston, in the Oranges, and at Wash- 
ington, the number of riders steadily increased. 
Local racing events were numerous, and a number of 
good riders appeared. The demand for wheels in- 
creased, and early in the eighties the home production 
was augmented by the formation of the Overman 
Wheel Company. Foreign made wheels were being 
imported. Tricycles, as well as bicycles, were com- 
ing into use, and about 1884 the first tandem tri- 
cycles were imported. 

There were, however, some disadvantages under 
which wheelmen labored. As a rule, the roads in the 
country were very poor, and those of most towns were 
not much better. To ride the ordinary, while such 
conditions obtained, required enthusiasm, pluck, and 
skill, and largely restricted the riders to the younger 



6 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

men and boys. Moreover, at the outset, some horses 
showed fear at sight of the new vehicles, and riders 
were often treated rudely and even roughly by the 
drivers they met, and compelled to make sudden, and 
sometimes dangerous, dismounts in order to avoid 
accidents. Still worse, town and city authorities, in 
some cases, forbade wheelmen the use of the parks, 
special roads, and even the public streets, and these 
restrictions were the source of much annoyance and 
inconvenience while they lasted. 

The bicycle had been early decided by the English 
courts to be a vehicle, and by our treasury depart- 
ment classed as a carriage, so a good basis for a legal 
fight had been obtained. The American courts up- 
held the English view; restrictions were gradually 
removed; in 1887, the New York Legislature passed 
the so-called " Liberty Bill," which acknowledged the 
rights of cycles as vehicles, and it was followed in 
1888 by a similar bill in New Jersey. Such events as 
these, together with the enormous increase in numbers 
that had taken place, and the constant accession to 
the ranks of wheelmen of a more mature class of 
riders, largely removed the features which were once 
disagreeable. 

The roads, too, were showing marked improvement 
in many places. In 1887 the subject of road improve- 
ment was brought to the front by a few men. The 
Wheel in particular published considerable matter 
bearing on the topic, and a long article on Macadam 
Roads was compiled by the writer of this book and 
published in the L. A. W. Bulletin in August of that 
year. It was copied and reprinted in different parts 



CYCLING IN THE UNITED STATES. 7 

of the country, and issued by the League in a Road 
Improvement tract. It is reprinted in this volume. 
This agitation grew to formidable dimensions, and 
bore fruit in improved methods of road mending, and 
the construction of many miles of good roads. 

Between the years 1883 and 1887 were held the 
first great American racing tournaments— events 
which have never been equaled anywhere. Those at 
Hartford were of two days' duration, and those at 
Springfield of three days. Both were very successful, 
but the latter were on the larger scale and attracted 
wheelmen from all over the country. A number of 
foreign riders came over to participate in these events, 
and records were frequently lowered. 

The results obtained at Springfield and Hartford led 
to the establishment of tw T o other first-class tracks — 
one at Lynn, Mass., and the other at Roseville, N. J. 
Both of these, however, proved to be financial failures, 
owing to a variety of unfortunate events. At Rose- 
ville, only two meetings out of those held on the track 
paid expenses. These were the initial meet, given 
under the auspices of the Orange Wanderers, and the 
meet of the New Jersey division of the League. An 
officer of the club mentioned was on the committees 
having both events in charge, and the policy pursued 
was to cater for local patronage, rather than for that of 
outside wheelmen. In those events which failed to 
pay expenses, a different course had been largely fol- 
lowed. These tracks lasted but a year or two. The 
Hartford events, however, have been maintained, and 
the Springfield tournaments were revived in 1891, 
after an interval of several years. 



8 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

Between 1887 and 1890 racing interests had some- 
what languished, owing largely to the events of 1886, 
which are related more fully in the chapter on the 
League. In 1885 pretty much all the fast riders had 
been in the employ of manufacturers, and constituted 
racing teams. In 1886 the League declared these 
men, known as "makers' amateurs," to be profes- 
sionals. As a result, the American Cyclists' Union 
was formed, in order to wrest the control of racing 
from the League, and these men were placed in an 
intermediate class, and called "promateurs." The 
result was not satisfactory; the new Union did not 
long survive; the makers gave up maintaining racing 
teams, and interest in racing fell to a low ebb. The 
revival, however, came slowly but surely, and from 
1890 on, the number of tracks and meetings have 
been steadily increasing. 

The use of the high bicycle, as already remarked, 
was necessarily confined principally to the younger 
and more active men, while the tricycle never came 
into very great favor, as the roads generally were not 
suited to the use of light three-wheelers, and very few 
of them were used in this country. There has been a 
feeling more or less prevalent among those who rode 
before 1886 that, under the then existing conditions, 
the high wheel had nearly reached its zenith. Cer- 
tainly nothing is plainer than that it had not, and could 
not have (even in its " geared" form), the very char- 
acteristics which have made the Safety so popular. It 
was in 1885 that the modern Safety got a start in Eng- 
land. In the two following years a few w r ere brought 
over to this country. In 1888 quite a number were 



CYCLIXG IN THE UNITED STATES. 9 

imported ; in 1889 it appeared as a serious rival to the 
ordinary, and in 1890 it began to rapidly displace it. 
Since then, practically nothing else has been sold. 

The advent of the Safety revolutionized cycling. 
The. low machine proved to have none of the faults of 
the high one, while it possessed practically all its 
virtues, together with many of its own. Its suitabil- 
ity for all ages, conditions, and sexes, together with 
the ease with which it could be mastered soon made it 
immensely popular, and cycling is rapidly becoming 
more popular than all other out-of-door recreations 
combined. 



LEAGUE OF AMERICAN WHEELMEN. 



Items from Its History. 
By ABBOT BASSETT, Secretary 



r PHE League of American Wheelmen was organized 
1 at Newport, R. I., May 31, 1880. Decoration 
Day fell on Sunday that year, and the holiday was 
observed on Monday following. We are thus explicit 
because some confusion of dates has arisen from the 
fact that although the League first met on Decoration 
Day, it was not May 30, but May 31. 

When the Cyclists' Touring Club, of England, 
organized originally under the name of the Bicycle 
Touring Club, August 5, 1878, became a necessity in 
England, it was recognized that a similar society 
would be called for in America when the number of 
wheelmen should increase. Two clubs were formed 
in England, the Bicycle Touring Club, to promote 
touring, and the Bicycle Union (now National Cyclists' 
Union) to regulate racing. The pros and cons of the 
question were discussed here in club and by corre- 
spondence, and it was generally conceded that one 
society combining the ideas of the two English bodies 
would be better for America. 

The bicycle came in under most adverse circum- 



LEAGUE OF AMERICAN WHEELMEN. II 

stances. Its forerunner, the velocipede, had made 
itself objectionable, and the ordinances of nearly 
every city in the Eastern States contained restrictions 
against riding the velocipede on the highways. The 
law knew no difference between a bicycle and a veloci- 
pede. The year before the meet at Newport the 
mayor of that city had issued strict orders to the 
police to exclude bicycles from the streets, and a 
special permit to ride wheels in the, city had to be 
obtained before the meet could be held. 

Early in 1880 the New York Club, of which C. Kirk 
Munroe was president, suggested a meet of wheelmen, 
and after some correspondence with the Boston, Mas- 
sachusetts, and Essex (N. J.) clubs, an invitation w r as 
issued March 20, signed by Mr. Munroe as presi- 
dent of the New York Club, asking all wheelmen in 
the United States, whether club members or unat- 
tached, to meet at Newport on Decoration Day. The 
ideas of the New York Club did not go beyond a joy- 
ful occasion which should include a parade, a ban- 
quet, etc., but the Bicycling World (Charles E. Pratt, 
editor), in an editorial published March 20, says: 
"We wish to suggest now for consideration in season, 
whether this proposed meet will not offer a suitable 
occasion for a meeting of delegates from all the clubs, 
for the organization of a Bicycle League, which may 
serve to protect and to further the general common 
rights and interests of wheelmen throughout the 
United States and Canada, and combine the best 
points of the Bicycle Union and the Bicycle Touring 
Club abroad." 

In the Bicycling World of May 1, Mr. Charles E. 



12 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

Pratt, as president of the Boston Bicycle Club, issued 
a call to the wheel clubs of the country, inviting them 
to send two delegates each to a meeting at Newport, 
the purpose of which should be the formation of an 
American League of Cyclists. 

On Monday, May 31 (Decoration Day), Newport 
was alive with wheels. Cyclists from all the cycling 
centers gathered. Representatives from New York, 
Boston, Philadelphia, and Chicago were on hand as 
early as the Friday preceding, and on Saturday there 
were one hundred visiting wheelmen in the city. 

The programme included the convention at 9 a. m., 
a parade at 2 p. m., and a banquet at 5.30 p. m. 

At the convention the delegates from clubs sat on 
one side of the hall and the unattached members on 
the other. A constitution was adopted, and officers 
were elected. Some discussion arose over a name for 
the organization, and finally a name suggested by 
Samuel T. Clark, of Baltimore — The League of 
American Wheelmen — was adopted. 

The objects as set forth in the constitution, prepared 
by Mr. Pratt, were: "To promote the general inter- 
ests of bicycling, to ascertain, defend, and protect the 
rights of wheelmen ; and to encourage and facilitate 
touring." 

The following officers were elected : President, 
Charles E. Pratt, Boston ; Vice President, Thomas 
K. Largstreth, Philadelphia; Commander, C. Kirk 
Munroe, New York; Corresponding Secretary, Albert 
S. Parsons, Cambridge, Mass.; Recording Secretary, 
J. Frank Burrill, New York; Treasurer, Hugh L. 
Willoughby, Saratoga, N. Y. In addition, two di- 



LEAGUE OF AMERICAN WHEELMEN. 1 3 

rectors were chosen from each State in which there 
was an organized bicycle club. These officers consti- 
tuted a board of officers for the government of the 
League. 

The parade under command of Edward C. Hodges, 
captain of the Boston Bicycle Club, had 151 wheels in 
line. The banquet was an informal affair, and no 
speeches were made. 

In recognition of the valuable services rendered by 
Mr. Pratt in the interests of the League preliminary 
to its formation, a subscription was taken up, and a 
committee was appointed to procure some form of 
testimonial. At a later date, in Boston, Mr. Pratt 
was dubbed "Father of the League" and presented 
with a silver pitcher suitably inscribed. 

On September 18, 1880, a meeting of the Board of 
Officers was held in New York, when a set of by-laws 
was adopted. The first official discussion on the 
amateur rule took place at this meeting and was no 
less animated than later ones have been. Pennsyl- 
vania, represented by Joseph Pennell, wanted a strict 
amateur rule which should exclude all dealers and even 
cycling editors from the amateur ranks. He did not 
carry his point. A rule substantially the same as the 
English rule was adopted. The Board adopted for a 
League badge, a design made by Joseph Pennell and 
A. S. Parsons. The badge was of silver, half-dollar 
size, showing a picture of North America in relief, 
surrounded by a wheel and the words "League of 
American Wheelmen," the whole dependent from a 
handle bar. This badge was called by the designers 
the "Continent Badge," but it soon came to be known 



14 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

as the "Ham Badge." Five hundred and twenty- 
seven members were enrolled to this date. 

The first case affecting the rights of wheelmen that 
the League had to deal with was known as the Had- 
donfield (N. J.) Turnpike case. The Pike Company 
issued an order instructing its gatekeepers to refuse 
admission to wheels upon the pike. The League 
purposed making a test case and fighting the company 
in court, but the Philadelphia Club employed coun- 
sel, and after some correspondence the company was 
persuaded to revoke its order, and bicycles were not 
thereafter restrained. The League reimbursed the 
Philadelphia Club for all the expense it had been to 
in this matter ($50). 

The second me^t of the League was held Li Boston, 
May 30, 1 88 1. On the Saturday previous, a race meet 
was held at Beacon Park. Lewis T. Frye won the 
quarter (47 J- sec), and half mile (1.42) races, and 
W. M. Woodside won the one (3.36%) and two 
(6.52^) mile races. 

The parade was commanded by Commander Mun- 
roe, and there were 750 wheels in line. 

At the meeting, the membership was reported to be 
1654. The following officers were elected : President, 
Charles E. Pratt, Boston; Vice President, J. M. Fair- 
field, Chicago; Commander, C. K. Munroe, New 
York; Corresponding Secretary, Kingman N. Put- 
nam, New York; Recording Secretary, Samuel T. 
Clark, Baltimore; Treasurer, Dillwyn Wistar, Phila- 
delphia. A dinner at Music Hall, and an exhibition 
of trick riding concluded the festivities. 

The fall meeting of the Board of Officers was held 



LEAGUE OF AMERICAN WHEELMEN. 15 

in New York. The "Ham Badge* ' was given up, and 
the badge designed by C. H. Lamson, of Portland, 
Me., was adopted. This badge has been retained to 
the present day. At this time occurred the first races 
given under the auspices of the League. The races 
were held on the Polo Grounds. Lewis T. Frye, of 
Marlboro, Mass., won the one mile L. A. W. champi- 
onship in 3. 12 \. Wm. Smith, of England, won a two 
mile American championship in 6.35-J-. W. M. 
Woodside won a five mile race in 19. 30^, and 
two other races of minor importance were con- 
tested. 

The third annual meeting of the League was held at 
Chicago, May 30, 1882. The membership was re- 
ported to be 2500. A new code of by-laws was 
adopted, which provided for the election of Chief 
Consuls in States, and Representatives based upon 
membership. The office of Commander was abolished. 
Races were held the day previous to the meeting. 
The parade was commanded by Commander S. A. 
Marsden, and 294 wheels were in line. The election 
for president was hotly contested between William 
H. Miller, of Ohio, and E. C. Hodges, of Massachu- 
setts. The result of the election was as follows: Pres- 
ident, William H. Miller, Columbus, O. ; Vice Presi- 
dent, Albert S. Parsons, Cambridge, Mass. ; Cor- 
responding Secretary, Kingman N. Putnam, New 
York; Recording Secretary, Angus S. Hibbard, Mil- 
waukee; Treasurer, William V. Gilman, Nashua, 
N. H. Election of State officers was by mail vote in 
June of the same year. 

In the fall of this year (1882) George M. Hendee 



i6 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

won the one mile championship of the League at Bos- 
ton, defeating Lewis T. Frye. 

The fourth annual meet was held in New York City, 
May 28, 1883. Many of the New York members were 
interested in the Decoration Day parade of the mili- 
tary, and the first departure from that day for the 
annual meet was taken, and the custom has never been 
resumed. The business of importance at the meeting 
was the matter of a League organ. The Bicycling 
World had been made the organ at Newport, and 
had continued to hold the position ; but it pursued an 
independent course, and did not fail to condemn 
League officers and League management when it con- 
sidered condemnation called for. This displeased 
those who were criticised, and a ready ear was given 
to the Wheel, of New York, a paper which wanted the 
organship, and was willing to be altogether an organ. 
By a large vote the Wheel was made organ, and paid 
for the service. The World had never charged any- 
thing for publishing the notices, but members were 
obliged to subscribe for the paper. The League voted 
a copy of the Wheel to every member, and agreed to 
pay fifty cents for each subscription, be it for one 
week or fifty-two. This departure cost the League 
$1950.28 the first year, and emptied the treasury. A 
popular subscription was called for, and $380 was con- 
tributed by members. 

There were 723 wheels in line, and by special per- 
mission of the park commissioners the parade took 
place in Central Park. The meet and its parade had 
a strong influence in changing the opinion held of 
wheelmen by the commissioners and led to many 



LEAGUE OF AMER1CAX WHEELMEtf. 17 

favors not before obtainable. The membership was 
reported to be 2131. The following officers were 
elected: President, N. Malon Beckwith, New York; 
Vice President, W. H. Miller, Columbus, O. ; Cor- 
responding Secretary, Frederic Jenkins, New York; 
Recording Secretary, A. S. Hibbard, Milwaukee, 
Wis. ; Treasurer, William V. Gilman, Nashua, N. H. 

The fifth annual meet was held in Washington, 
D. C, May 19, 1884, The official-organ experiment 
had emptied the treasury, and a committee had been 
appointed to consider the expediency of publishing a 
paper by the League. The committee reported it 
inexpedient to publish. Bids had been received from 
several cycling journals giving figures for furnishing a 
weekly paper to each league member. A contract 
was made for one year with the Amateur Athlete, 
whose publisher agreed to furnish the paper to mem- 
bers for five-sixths of a cent a copy. Eugene M. 
Aaron, of Philadelphia, who was elected Recording 
Secretary, agreed to act as official editor for one year, 
without compensation. This venture was more unfor- 
tunate than the one that preceded it. The paper was 
poorly edited, and altogether unsatisfactory, and the 
officers and members were in a condition of mind to 
make a decided change at the end of the year. 

The membership was reported to be 4250. Six 
hundred wheels were in the parade. The following 
officers were elected: President, N. Malon Beckwith, 
New York; Vice President, W. H. Miller, Columbus, 
O. ; Corresponding Secretary, C. K. Alley, Buffalo; 
Recording Secretary, Eugene M. Aaron, Philadel- 
phia; Treasurer, Stephen Terry, Hartford, Conn. 



1 8 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

The sixth annual meet was held at Buffalo, N. Y., 
July 2, 1885. The organ had been so unsatisfactory 
that it was felt that the time had come for the League 
to publish its own organ. Editor Aaron prepared and 
published a specimen paper which he exhibited at this 
meeting, and a vote was carried to continue it as the 
organ of the L. A. W. This was the birth of the 
L. A. W. Bulletin. The amateur question was hotly 
discussed. A motion to strike out the word * 'ama- 
teur' ' from the constitution, and allow professionals to 
join the League, was voted down by an almost unani- 
mous vote. An amateur rule more strict than any 
preceding it was adopted. Bicycle makers had just 
commenced to put teams of racing men on the track to 
race with amateurs. These men were paid regular 
salaries, had all expenses paid, and were furnished 
trainers who attended them. They were called 
" makers' amateurs," and later they played quite a 
part in the racing world. The adoption of the new 
amateur rule at Buffalo was the first step taken to 
break up the peculiar institution. The officers elected 
at Buffalo were: President, N. Malon Beckwith, New 
York; Vice President, Stephen Terry, Hartford, 
Conn.; Executive Committeeman, T. J. Kirkpatrick, 
Springfield, O. ; Treasurer, Frank P. Kendall, 
Worcester, Mass.; Secretary-Editor, Eugene M. 
Aaron, Philadelphia. A new constitution, adopted at 
the spring meeting, combined the duties of Correspond- 
ing and Recording Secretaries and created a new 
office, that of Secretary-Editor. It also constituted 
an executive committee, consisting of the president, 
vice president, and an executive committeeman elected 



LEAGUE OF AMERICAN WHEELMEN. 19 

at large. These two new officers were first elected at 
this time. The total membership December 31, 1885, 
was 5176. 

In the spring of 1886, the chairman of the racing 
board went before the executive committee and an- 
nounced that he was ready to enter upon a campaign 
against the "makers' amateurs" and, if possible, break 
up the institution. He was given assurance of sup- 
port and was ordered to go' ahead. .He immediately- 
set to work from a new position. All previous efforts 
of the racing board had been directed toward proving 
that men had violated the amateur rule, but evidence 
was hard to get, and the board was powerless to con- 
vict men of wrong-doing, though it was patent to all. 
The racing board now made the men prove that they 
were innocent. Blanks were sent to a number of men 
and also to manufacturers. These blanks contained 
questions relative to the relations between man and 
maker. Makers were asked if they had ever paid this 
man or that man anything in the way of a salary, and 
riders were asked if they had ever received money. 
Thirty days were given for answers. This action 
came like a thunderclap on the cycling world. It was 
well known that neither men nor makers could answer 
the questions without conviction. Indignant letters 
were published in the press, and law suits were threat- 
ened. Neither men nor makers answered the ques- 
tions, and at the end of thirty days all of the "makers' 
amateurs" were declared professionals. This took fifty 
men out of the amateur ranks, and nearly every racing 
man of note in the United States was on the list. The 
success of the fall tournaments was threatened, and the 



20 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

promoters of these were, if anything, more indignant 
than the racing men. 

Now came a movement to build up a new organiza- 
tion and take from the League its jurisdiction over 
racing. It was threatened by the friends of the racing 
men that, if the acts of the racing board were not 
disavowed at the annual meeting of the League, a 
new League would be born and the old League would 
be killed. But the racing board did not yield to 
threats, and went on with its work. 

The seventh annual meet was held in Boston, May 
28, 18S6. Great interest centered upon the action 
of the League on the "makers* amateur" question. 
The action of the board was fully indorsed at the 
meeting, by a very large vote, and the racing board 
was thanked for its brilliant campaign. The election 
of officers resulted as follows: President, N. Malon 
Beckwith, New York; Vice President, T. J. Kirk- 
patrick, Springfield, O.; Executive Committeeman, 
John C. Gulick, New York; Secretary-Editor, E. M. 
Aaron, Philadelphia; Treasurer, Sanford Lawton, 
Springfield, Mass. 

As a result of the action of the League in indorsing 
the racing board, the American Cyclists' Union was 
formed May 29, 1886. This Union undertook to 
legislate for amateur, "promateur" and professional 
racing. The "promateur ' class of riders did not race 
for money nor with professionals. They were allowed 
to draw salaries for riding. Nearly all the fall tour- 
naments were run under A. C. U. rules. The 
Union was short-lived. Its antagonism to the L. 
A. W. was not in its favor, and it went to the wall 



LEAGUE OF AMERICAN WHEELMEN. 21 

in 1887. The total membership December 31, 1886, 
was 10,264. 

The spring meeting of the Board of Officers, Janu- 
ary 17, 1887, in New York, was one of the most excit- 
ing in the history of the League. The official organ 
had not been a financial success, and the League was 
bankrupt. The conduct of affairs by the secretary- 
editor had not been satisfactory, and his resignation 
was handed in. Though he had resigned, Mr. Aaron 
wished to elect his successor, and favored the can- 
didacy of John A. Wells of Philadelphia, who was a 
partner in the Philadelphia printing firm that printed 
the Bulletin. The result of a ballot gave the election 
to Abbot Bassett, Boston, Mass. Mr. Bassett imme- 
diately went to Philadelphia to assume the duties of 
his office, and two months later removed the head- 
quarters of the League to Boston, Mass. 

The eighth annual meet of the League was held in 
St. Louis, May 20, 1887. The following officers were 
elected: President, TV J. Kirkpatrick, Springfield, O.; 
Vice President, H. W. Hayes, Cambridge, Mass. ; 
Executive Committeeman, George R. Bidwell, New 
York; Treasurer, W. M. Brewster, St. Louis. This 
year (1887) was passed the New York Liberty Bill 
which opened Central Park to wheelmen. As far 
back as 1879 the park commissioners had unani- 
mously voted to exclude bicycles from the Park, and 
New York wheelmen had had few roads to ride on. 
Petition after petition was sent to the commissioners, 
but all in vain. At last it was decided to make a test 
case in the courts and establish the right of bicycles 
to go where other vehicles were allowed, Colonel 



2 2 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

A. A. Pope generously agreed to pay all the legal 
expenses in this case ($7000 was expended). At 
9 a. m., Saturday, July 2, 1881, three New York 
wheelmen, William M. Wright, S. Conant Foster, and 
H. H. Walker rode into the Park and were promptly 
arrested. The case was carried from court to court, 
but the wheelmen were defeated at every point. In 
1883 the League had met in New York City, and the 
use of the Park roads for the parade was allowed. 
The good impression created by the orderly conduct 
of the wheelmen had led to favors from the commis- 
sioners. Very soon after an order was issued, allowing 
the use of certain drives at all hours and other drives 
between midnight and 9 a. m. to wheelmen. Later 
came an order that none but "competent" riders 
would be allowed, and all such must wear a badge to 
be issued by the clubs. But riders didn't want privi- 
leges, they clamored for rights, and it was determined 
to go to the Legislature for a bill. George R. Bidwell, 
then chief consul of New York, aided by Isaac B. 
Potter, Esq., attorney for the Division, after months 
of labor and at large expense, carried a bill through 
the Legislature, and on June 27, 1887, it was signed by 
Governor Hill. This bill, called "The Liberty Bill," 
provided that "commissioners, trustees, or other 
authorities having charge or control of the highways 
or park driveways, shall have no power or authority 
to pass, enforce, or maintain any ordinance, rule, or 
regulation, by which any person using a bicycle or 
tricycle shall be excluded or prohibited from the free 
use of any of the park highways or driveways at any 
time when the same is open to the free use of persons 
using other pleasure carriages," 



LEAGUE OF AMERICAN WHEELMEN. 23 

The example of New York was followed by other 
States, and several * 'liberty bills" were passed. Total 
membership December 31, 1887, was 11,939. 

In 1888 a change was made in the official organ. 
The paper had been run at a loss, and there seemed 
to be no hope of making it a paying venture. The 
proprietors of the Bicycling World came forward and 
offered space for official notices in that paper, agreed 
to send the paper to each and every member and pay 
in addition the sum of three hundred dollars yearly. 
The proposition was accepted, and on March 2, 1888, 
the L. A. W. Bulletin was merged into the Bicycling 
World, and the paper adopted the double title. At 
the spring meeting of the board at New York, March 
5, 1888, a plan of reorganization was presented, and 
referred to a constitutional convention to be held at 
Baltimore on the occasion of the annual meet. This 
plan made the national organization representative 
and the divisions self-governing and self-supporting. 
The money paid for dues had been equally divided 
between the divisions and the national body, but now 
the national was to be allowed only fifty cents per 
capita. The board of officers was abolished and for 
it was substituted a national assembly, composed of 
all chief consuls and vice consuls, and delegates, one 
for each two hundred members. The new constitu- 
tion also provided for a first and second vice presi- 
dent, the latter taking the place of the "executive 
committeeman," and it created a standing committee 
on the Improvement of Highways. At Baltimore, 
June 18, 1888, the new constitution was adopted. 
Officers were elected as follows: President, T. J. 
Kirkpatrick, Springfield, O. ; First Vice President, 



24 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

H. W. Hayes, Cambridge, Mass. ; Second Vice Presi- 
dent, W, S. Bull, Buffalo, N. Y. 

The spring meeting of 1889 found the national 
organization heavily in debt to the division. The 
Bulletin had been running behind financially for sev- 
eral years, and the whole burden of this fell upon the 
national treasury, the divisions bearing no part of it. 
At the meeting of the National Assembly, February 
18, 1889, it was voted to levy an assessment of fifteen 
cents per capita on the divisions. The assessment did 
not embarrass the divisions in the least, while it put 
the national organization on a firm financial footing, 
where it has ever since remained. 

The new constitution provided for the election of 
officers at the annual meeting of the National Assem- 
bly, instead of at the annual summer meet of the 
League. The following officers were elected at the 
February meeting: President, Charles H. Luscombe, 
New York; First Vice President, James R. Dunn, 
Massillon, O. ; Second Vice President, William H. 
Emery, Boston, Mass. ; Treasurer, William M. Brew- 
ster, St. Louis, Mo. Dr. C. S. Butler, of Buffalo, was 
made chairman of the new committee on highways. 
Taking away the business meeting from the annual 
meet had the effect to destroy much of the interest in 
that meeting, and 1889 bade fair to go out without an 
annual gathering. It was decided to hold a meeting 
in combination with the Hagerstown Bicycle Club on 
July 4, and accordingly it was so held. No business 
was transacted. Total membership April 30, 1889, 

12,193. 

In 1890 the League entered upon its second decade, 



LEAGUE OF AMERICAN WHEELMEN. 25 

The list of members was renumbered for the first time 
since 1880. At the February meeting the following 
officers were elected: President, James R. Dunn, 
Massillon, O.; First Vice President, William H. 
Emery, Boston, Mass.; Second Vice President, 
George R. Bidwell, New York; Treasurer, W. M. 
Brewster, St. Louis, Mo. Total membership April 
30, 1890, 12,703. 

The annual meet was held at Niagara Falls, August 
25, 26, 27, 1890. A constitutional convention, held at 
this time, made several changes in the routine work of 
the League and extended the presidential term to two 
years. An amendment to allow non-wheelmen to be 
enrolled as sympathizers in the road improvement 
work, and contributors of funds thereto, was also 
passed. The annual meet of the assembly at Wash- 
ington, February 16, 1891, found 18,113 members 
enrolled, a gain of fifty per cent, over the enrollment 
of the previous year. The following officers were 
elected: President, James R. Dunn, Massillon, O.; 
First Vice President, Charles L. Burdett, Hartford, 
Conn. ; Second Vice President, G. Carleton Brown, 
Elizabeth, N. J. ; Treasurer, W. M. Brewster, St. 
Louis, Mo. Total membership April 30, 1891, 
18,504. The annual meet was held at Detroit, July 
16, 17, 18. No business meeting was held. 

This year was established the Roads Improvement 
Bureau, under the charge of Isaac B. Potter, Esq. 
Mr. Potter had given through 1890-91 a good deal of 
time and attention to the roads improvement work, in 
his capacity as chairman of the committee on Improve- 
ment of Highways. Two pamphlets, "Roads Im- 



26 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

provement, " and "The Gospel of Good Roads/' were 
issued in editions of 20,000 and distributed to the 
divisions. In the winter of the year a contract was 
made with Mr. Potter, to give his entire time to the 
newly-established bureau under a good salary. The 
important work of this bureau is the publication of a 
magazine, Good Roads, the first number of which was 
issued in January, 1892. A legislative committee was 
also created, in 1891, for the purpose of encouraging 
and directing legislation for good roads in the several 
legislatures of the country. 

Thus hastily have we sketched a few of the impor- 
tant events in League history. 



MACADAM ROADS. 

MACADAM'S plan was to thoroughly drain the road 
bed; properly shape it, sloping it each way from 
the center, so as to discharge water, 'and not crowning 
it by a greater thickness of stone in the middle. 

On this bed is placed, on a dry day, a coating of 
three inches of clean broken stone. A roller is then 
used, no traffic allowed upon it until well packed. 
If traffic is admitted, men must be on hand to rake in 
all ruts as soon as formed. The second coating of 
three inches is added at a wet time, as moisture helps 
the consolidation. This coating is treated as before, 
and a third coating is then added, and finally a 
fourth, if necessary. 

The stone is to be clean, nothing being laid on for 
so-called "binding." Clean, broken stone will com- 
bine by its own angles into a solid surface. 

A heavy roller will help the consolidation. One 
made of a hollow cylinder, with several chambers, 
which can be filled with sand, and so increase its 
weight as the road becomes packed, is most excellent. 

A road just completed requires careful attention for 
some time, and all ruts and ridges must be removed as 
soon as formed, until the materials become thoroughly 
consolidated. 

All the stone used must be small enough to pass 
through a ring two inches in diameter. 

27 



28 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

Telford's plan differed somewhat from Macadam's 
and was as follows : 

He prepared a level bed, and set in it a layer of 
medium-sized stones. These rested on their broadest 
edges, and lay lengthwise across the road. They 
were to be seven inches high in the center, and to 
slope off to three inches at the sides. The interstices 
were to be firmly packed by a light hammer, by hand, 
with stone chips. 

Four inches of small broken stone, like Macadam's, 
were then to be put on, and be worked in by traffic, 
care being taken to keep men removing ruts, and to 
keep the surface smooth. Then, a final coating of 
two inches of the same stone was to be put on and 
treated in the same way Care, however, was to be 
exercised not to make these last coatings as thick at 
the edges as in the center, so that the final convexity 
of the road would be six inches. The whole was to 
be covered with an inch and a half of clean 
gravel. 

Neither one of these systems is literally followed in 
this country, but the principal features of Telford's 
are generally adopted. 

A road which is kept in proper condition by means 
of constant little attentions seldom requires elaborate 
repairs; but this system is almost never followed. 
The almost universal method is to leave a road alone 
until the surface is covered with holes and ruts, and 
then cover it for a long distance with several inches of 
stone, coated with earth. 

To keep roads in repair requires a permanent corps 
of men, working under competent orders, One man 



MACADAM ROADS. 29 

can keep in repair from three to four miles of well 
made and well drained road. The roads once being 
in good shape, it is the duty of this corps to keep 
them so. To accomplish this, it is necessary: 

I. To have in progress a daily removal of the dust, 
mud, and other wear and accumulations from the sur- 
face. This can be best done by means of wooden 
hoes and birch brooms. 

II. The application of new materials, which must 
be kept in depots, not far apart, so that they can be 
conveniently brought to any required spot in wheel- 
barrows. They will unite most readily when applied 
after a rain. This division of the subject will now be 
examined more in detail. 

The proper system of repair is this: 

I. Put down where wanted, and not elsewhere, hard 
stones broken as nearly as possible to an even size of 
one and a half inches in the largest dimensions. 

II. Mix no earth or sand with them, but let them 
be worked in by pressure, so that they fit together by 
their own angles into a solid mass like the pieces of a 
puzzle or mosaic. 

Macadam always attached the greatest importance to 
the small size of stones which he used, and made his 
surveyors use a two-inch iron ring, with which to try 
the largest stones in a heap, to see that they would go 
through the ring in any direction, so that the largest 
stones in a heap would be less than two inches in their 
greatest dimensions. He also made the stone-breakers 
test the size of the stones by putting them into their 
mouths ; any stone that would not go into a man's 
mouth, or would not go through the two-inch ring 



30 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

every way, was to be broken again. All the authori- 
ties agree with Macadam in recommending this small 
size of stone, and Macadam himself, though he allowed 
the use of a two-inch ring to save the expense of 
breaking the stone smaller, yet says, " Every piece of 
stone put into a road, which exceeds an inch in any of its 
dimensions, is mischievous." Telford agreed with Mac- 
adam as to the size of stones to be used for surface 
repair, however much he may have differed from him 
about the foundations of a new road. 

The neglect of this principle is the main cause of 
the badness and costliness of most of the macada- 
mized roads of the present day. Small stones, broken 
to the proper size, viz., one and a half inches in their 
largest dimensions, fit much tighter together, work in 
much quicker, make a much smoother road, and wear 
much better than the stones such as are usually put 
down. 

It is easy to see that a large stone working in among 
smaller ones, will project and cause a roughness of the 
road, and also that the interstices between stones of 
one and a half inch will be less than between those of 
three or four inches. Stones of this large size, besides 
making a rough road and greatly increasing the labor 
of the horses, are very slow to work in, and either 
involve the expense of a steam roller, or remain on 
the surface, to the great annoyance of all who use the 
road. Moreover, a cubic yard of stone broken to an 
inch and a half gauge will cover six or seven times as 
much surface of road as it would if only broken to four 
inches ; and as three-quarters of an inch of consoli- 
dated road is admitted to be as much as a highway 



MA CAD AM ROADS. 3 1 

usually loses in thickness in a year, even under heavy 
traffic, it is evident that to put down a greater thick- 
ness of stone is mere waste of material. All the 
authorities agree that the slight extra cost of breaking 
the stones to the proper size is repaid many times over 
by the amount of material saved, and by the superior 
smoothness and consequent reduction in the wear of 
the roads. Macadam roads are very frequently "re- 
paired" by covering the surface with about an inch of 
screenings. This material is completely pulverized by 
the passing vehicles, and becomes, in a week or two, 
a fine powder, very disagreeable to ride over, easily 
removed by wind or rain, and of no value for repairs. 
The alleged object of "protecting the surface" is, of 
course, not secured. 

Macadam's next point is that the stones are to unite 
by their own angles into a solid mass, and that no 
earth, screenings, or other so-called "binding mate- 
rial' ' should be mixed with them. Cohesion is the 
first thing to be aimed at in a road. If the stones 
unite properly by their own angles, the result will always 
be a smooth, economical road, with but little need of 
repair. The traffic will always provide more mud and 
dust than will be sufficient to cover the surface of the 
stones, and to fill up the very small interstices which 
will be left when they have been properly bound 
together. Yet there is no point on which greater 
wastefulness is exhibited in the repair of roads. Large 
sums are used in providing earth to throw over the 
newly-laid stones. The authorities seem to think that 
all this is necessary to "bind the stones together, ' ' ignor- 
ing the cardinal principle that the stones must unite 



32 WHEELS AND WHEELING, 

by their own angles, and being unable to see that if 
earth is placed on a road it becomes muddy, or if 
screenings, then dusty; or to understand that the 
public does not desire to pay for either of these lux- 
uries. 

Stones are frequently laid down three or even four 
thick, and over the whole surface of the roads for 
hundreds of yards at a time, to the extreme discom- 
fort of all travelers. And this is done where the 
roads, though full probably of holes, puddles, and 
ruts, have ample strength and thickness, and only 
need to have the surface rendered smooth. All that 
is needed in such a case is simply to fill up the ruts 
and puddles with properly broken stone, and if this 
be enough, it will obviously save a great deal of cost 
in material and labor, to say nothing of the great con- 
venience to the users of the road in having fewer 
stones to go over. If the middle of the road really 
requires to be raised, the puddles and ruts should still be 
filled up a week or two before the stone is spread over all 
the middle of the road, otherwise the new stones will 
sink more quickly into the ruts and puddles than else- 
where, and the same holes will reappear just where 
they were before. Stones should never be laid down 
more than one deep, otherwise, they are much slower 
about working in, and great waste of material ensues 
from the grinding of one loose stone against another. 
Yet it is the rule rather than the exception to put 
down stones two or three deep. Three-quarters of an 
inch of wear is quite as much as usually takes place in 
a year, even on a much-frequented road ; the waste- 
fulness, therefore, of putting down two or three inches 



MACADAM ROADS. 33 

of stone is self-evident; the annoyance to travelers is 
also extreme. 

The proper drainage of roads is also of the greatest 
importance for their maintenance in good condition, 
and a road cannot be properly drained unless it pre- 
serves a smooth and slightly convex surface. Water 
should never be allowed to stand in ruts and puddles, 
and a road should always be patched up as soon as 
the puddle appears. "The stone in time saves nine ,, 
in road repairing as much as the proverbial stitch; but 
repairers usually wait till the state of things has become 
intolerable, and then spread four or five inches of 
stone over the whole road. Long wide patches of 
stone should never be put down; vehicles will avoid 
them, and will go on the path or by a longer road to 
do so; or, if they cannot be avoided, the ruts will 
very soon appear in the middle of the road, which will 
become concave instead of convex. A rake should be 
constantly used to fill up ruts and bring scattered stones 
back to their places. Patches should seldom be more 
than from two to four yards long. A patch of stones 
twenty or thirty yards long on a country road, where 
there is no steam roller to work it in, is an expensive 
mistake. Patches should not be square, but should 
vary according to the shape of the hollow they are 
intended to fill, i. ^., usually round or oval, and should 
be so arranged that vehicles can go by with only one 
wheel on the stone. 

Mud should always be removed entirely before put- 
ting down the stone; it is not wanted on roads, and it 
means extra labor to horses and increased wear of the 
road. Yet this is very generally lost sight of, and 



34 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

most repairers actually spread earth on the top of the 
stones. 

The importance of using a good hard material, which 
will wear well, is very great. Flint, granite, and the 
igneous rocks generally, and some few of the harder 
sandstones, will make an excellent road, if properly 
broken and spread; but oolites, limestones, and the 
softer sandstones will never make a good road, for the 
simple reason that they are not hard enough, and that 
they wear quickly into ruts. Besides, they suffer far 
more from frost than harder stones. Granite will, if 
properly broken and spread, pay very well in spite of 
its extra first cost. But flint has no superior except 
for roads where the traffic is excessive. 

To sum up the matter in a few words, the points to 
be insisted on are these: 

I. The stones broken must be small; t. e., one and 
a half inch in their largest dimensions. 

II. Hard material, flint where obtainable, or granite, 
should be employed. 

III. No earth, screenings, sand, or so-called "bind- 
ing material' ' must be used, but the stones must unite 
by their own angles into a solid mass. 

IV. Economy of material must be promoted by 
filling up holes at once, and by never putting down 
stones more than one thick; also by spreading small 
patches of stones where wanted, instead of large ones 
whether wanted or not. 

V. All mud must be removed. 

VI. Attention must be paid to drainage, especially 
by filling up puddles at once, and keeping them so 
filled by the use of the rake. 



MACADAM ROADS. 35 

The adoption of this, the only proper system of 
repair, will diminish the road rates and will con- 
duce to the comfort of everyone. In short, much less 
should be spent on material, and rather more on skilled 
labor and superintendence. 



HISTORY OF THE BICYCLE. 

IN tracing the evolution of the cycle from its crude 
beginning, through the many forms it has assumed 
in its process of development, up to the various highly 
organized types of the decade preceding 1890, we find 
the first primitive efforts made on the Continent, the 
long period of experiment and trial confined princi- 
pally to England, and the rapid advances of the last 
few years shared by England and the United States. 

The first attempts to produce anything that can well 
be styled an ancestor of the modern cycle were made 
early in the present century, and were continued in 
different places, and at irregular intervals, for about 
fifty years. In the latter part of this period, revolv- 
ing pedals on foot cranks seem to have been applied 
to three-wheeled velocipedes, and in 1865 they were 
the feature of the first two-wheeled velocipede built. 

From this time on, development became more 
rapid, and by 1876 the high, or ordinary, bicycle had 
taken form. While that type was being perfected, 
there were growing up around it many varieties of tri- 
cycles, and these, too, were improved year by year, a 
number of distinct types being developed. In 1884, 
as tall bicycles and tricycles reached a high degree of 
perfection, the forerunner of the modern Safety was 
invented. By 1886 it had been so improved as to 
gain a strong foothold in England ; two years later it 

36 



HISTORY OF THE BICYCLE. 37 

had almost superseded the ordinary there, and in 
1890 it had done the same here. 

With the pronounced success of the Safety and its 
universal adoption, cycling has proved to be suffi- 
ciently attractive in its pleasurable, health-promoting, 
and utilitarian aspects to attract annually many thou- 
sands of new riders. It may not be uninteresting to 
them to inspect the long series of antiquated, curious, 
and more or less practical mounts that have preceded 
the present Safety ; while those who have ridden many 
of the now almost forgotten types may perchance 
ponder over the forms of other days with tender emo- 
tion and half-regretful longing. He, indeed, appre- 
ciates the high-bred, light-roadster Safety of to-day 
who has ridden every type since old boneshaker 
days. 

Prior to the present century attempts were made to 
produce vehicles which could be propelled by their 
riders without extraneous aid, but these carriages can 
hardly be regarded as predecessors of the cycle. 
They are interesting, however, as showing that for a 
considerable period it has been thought that man 
could, by means of some mechanical contrivance, pro- 
pel himself quite as well as he could be drawn or 
carried by other forces or objects. Curiously enough, 
as it would seem, but commonly enough as experience 
proves, his first efforts to attain the desired end were 
most laborious, and the results were complicated and 
cumbrous vehicles. An example of an early specimen 
will be found near the beginning of the chapter on the 
Tricycle. 



38 



WHEELS AND WHEELING, 



Other attempts of this sort seem to have been made, 
but it is not important to trace them here. 

According to some authorities two distinct but very 
similar vehicles, the Celeripede and the Draisine, were 
produced almost simultaneously in 1816. The former 
is said to have appeared in the Luxembourg Gardens 
in that year, guided by a rider "who managed his 




Celeripede — 1816. 

machine with great skill and showed startling speed.' ' 
It was composed of two wheels in line, connected by 
a perch, on which the rider partly sat, propelling it by 
thrusting with his feet upon the ground and guiding it 
by means of a vertical bar connected with the steer- 
ing steel. 

The Draisine was the affair said to have been 
used by one Baron von Drais, while performing his 
duties as master of forests for the Grand Duke of 



HISTORY OF THE BICYCLE. 



39 



Baden. It was likewise exhibited in 1816, and a 
patent obtained for it in France. Its frame appears 
to have been a little more elaborate than that of the 
Celeripede, and a rest for the arms seems to have been 
used. The rider, as with the other, carried part of 
his weight upon the perch, and propelled it by strid- 
ing rapidly along the ground, while on down grades 
he raised his feet and let it run. The forks of the 




Draisine— 1816. 



front wheel were swiveled to the forward part of the 
perch, so that the bar above enabled the rider to steer 
it. The wheels were of about equal size, and no 
brake was used. 

An increasing importance has been attached, year by 
year, to the invention of Baron von Drais, and he has 
received such titles as " Father of the Draisine," and 
"Father of the Bicycle." This application of honor- 
able titles seems to have finally culminated in an 
attempt to preserve his fame in a more permanent way, 



4° WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

as may be judged from the following account from the 
Court Journal of May 2, 1891: "On Sunday last, 
Carlsruhe, the native city of Carl von Drais, Baron of 
Sauerbronn, discharged her debt of honor to the k in- 
ventor of the bicycle. Baron von Drais was born in 
1785. Originally a forester he devoted most of his 
time to inventions, which swallowed the whole of his 
fortune, and procured for him the nickname of 'Pro- 
fessor of Mechanics.' Although to-day the bicycle is 
in universal use, scarcely anything is known of the 
inventor, who gave the new locomotor the name 
'Draisine/ It has been decided to erect a handsome 
monument over the grave of the inventor, the expenses 
of which will be exclusively borne by bicyclists, 
thereby carrying his name down to the sportsmen of 
posterity." 

The idea of a two-wheeled vehicle of this sort was 
shortly carried to England, where one Dennis John- 
son somewhat ^improved the Draisine and produced 
a machine which he called the Pedestrian Curricle 
and which he patented in 1818. It is represented as 
being somewhat less cumbrous than the Draisine, 
with quite elaborate arm rests, and slightly different 
steering. 

This machine quickly came into popular favor with 
young men, who rode them while the furore lasted, and 
it is recorded that the method of propelling them 
proved so hard on foot-wear that special iron-shod 
shoes were manufactured for the use of riders. The 
names of Hobby Horse and Dandy Horse were also 
applied to these machines, and their riders soon became 
the subject of caricature and ridicule. 



HISTORY OF THE BICYCLE. 



4.1 



In 1819 the machine was patented in this country, 
but failed to arouse much interest. 

Attention, however, being still paid to the hobby 
in England, an elaborated design was brought out by 
one Lewis Gompertz, in 1821. As the leg thrusts 
upon the ground had evidently proved laborious with 
the earlier types, an additional means of propulsion 




Pedestrian Curricle — 18 18. 



was now added. The rider was still to carry his 
weight, and to thrust as before, but there was placed 
in front of the body rest, a lever connected with a 
segment rack, gearing in a pinion on the front wheel, 
which could thus be driven by the hands. It is doubt- 
ful whether this ' 'improvement" did anything to 
retard the waning popularity of the Hobby Horse. 
There seem to be traces of occasional attempts to 



42 



WHEELS AND WHEELING. 



revive and improve it, both in England and France, 
but they came to nothing, and the contrivance prac- 
tically dropped out of sight for about twenty years. 
For a long time it was supposed that there had been 
an interval of over forty years in w T hich nothing of a 
cycling character was produced, and that after the 
Hobby Horses of 182 1 an interim extended down to 




Hobby-Horse — 1821. 



the velocipede of 1866; but, early in 1892, investiga- 
tion revealed the fact that, about the year 1840, an 
ingenious Scotchman had applied driving levers to a 
machine of the Draisine type. This man was Peter, 
Patrick, or (as most witnesses think) Kirkpatrick 
McMillan. He is remembered by a number of his 
old acquaintances, who agree regarding both the fact 
that he applied a driving gear to his machine, and 



HISTORY OF THE BICYCLE. 



43 



consequently could travel much faster than those who 
used the primitive method, and also as to the time 
at which it was done. An account of the matter was 
given by Thomas McCall, in a letter to Bicycling News 
in February, 1892. Regarding the application of 
driving gear to a mac'hine of the Draisine type he 
says: "This was done by a blacksmith by the name of 
[Kirkpatrick] Peter McMillan, who wrought at Drum- 




McCall's Copy of McMillan's Rear Driver— 1840. 

lanarig Castle for some time, and latterly on his own 
account at Pierpont, Dumfriesshire. This would be 
about 1845. 

"I remember, when a boy, on coming out of school 
one day, seeing him with his velocipede. I followed 
him as he led it up a long hill and made a thorough 
inspection of it. On gaining the top of the hill, the 
man got on and rode away. I ran for over half a 
mile, but he outstripped me. It was after his princi- 



44 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

pie that I made velocipedes, years after, of which I 
will give account. 

"When I was an apprentice to the joiner and mill- 
wright trade, I commenced to make one in my spare 
time. On hearing, however, that a smith eight miles 
off had the remains of an old velocipede, without 
gearing, I proceeded thither, bought it for $s., and set 
out for home. On the way, however, the wheels 
broke down. I made new wheels, put cranks, con- 
necting rods, and pedals on, and for the first time 
owned a velocipede. A few years after, at New 
Cumnock, I made an entirely new one without any 
drawings or reference, and which was in use over 
twenty years. 

"In 187 1 I exhibited my machine against some 
boneshakers, which were in vogue at that time in 
Kilmarnock. I also rode into Glasgow, and received 
an order from a house for half a dozen of my sort. I 
made them, along with some others. A clerk in con- 
nection with that firm in Glasgow (who was the best 
rider in Glasgow at that time) highly approved of my 
machine. I also made one for a surgeon in England. 
I was advised to advertise it in an English journal, 
which I did, and sent a photograph of machine with 
rider, which was also inserted {English Mechanic). 
Some years afterward I received a letter from a man 
in England stating that a certain party was copying 
off my design, which he thought was not fair. Of 
course I had no claim, or letters patent, and as I was 
unwell at the time I took no notice of it. 

"The present Safety bears a strong relationship to 
my design, to which many testify. The machines I 



HISTORY OF THE BICYCLE. 



45 



made were safe and easily balanced, owing to the 
angle and formation of the shears of the front wheel, 
and which the Safety has. In this respect the veloci- 
pedes which I made were unique from all other bone- 
shakers or high bicycles. The only radical difference 
between my make and' the Safety is this: the power 
was conveyed to the rear wheel by means of swinging 
pedals, connecting rods, and cranks, instead of, as in 
the Safety, a chain. The wheels and backbone were 




Dalzell's Rear Driver — 1845. 



all of wood. On searching among my old papers I 
have come across one of the photographs which I got 
done 25 years ago, and which I inclose. There is a 
breastboard on it, as you will see, but w T hich I after- 
ward abandoned.' ' 

The majority of those who remember the McMillan 
machine place the date between 1838 and 1841; and 
it is even claimed that Dalzell's machine, which was 
produced about 1845, was the result of the inventor 



46 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

having seen McMillan's, as it is not impossible that it 
may have been ridden in his neighborhood. At any 
rate, another Scotchman, Gavin Dalzell, produced a 
rear-driving Safety somewhere about 1845. He is 
reported to have used it extensively, and been able to 
get ten to twelve miles an hour out of it. 

It is described by the Bicycling News as "con- 
structed chiefly of wood which, though worm-eaten, 
is still wonderfully strong, especially in the wheels, 
these seeming to have stood the ravages of time and 
rough usage much better than the framework. The 
rear wheel — -the driver — is of wood, shod with iron, 
about forty inches in diameter, and has twelve spokes, 
each about an inch in diameter. The front wheel is 
of similar construction, but only of about thirty inches 
in diameter. From the front wheel hub, the fork — 
straight, and with a rake which some of our modern 
makers could copy with profit — passes up, and is 
joined together, through the fore part of the wooden 
framework. A pair of handles are then attached and 
bent backward into a V-shape to suit the rider, who 
sits about two feet behind the front wheel hub. 
These were commonly termed the 'reins.' The main 
frame is somewhat like that which is now termed the 
'dip' pattern, the design of which is applied in an 
extended form to ladies' Safeties. 

"A wooden mud- guard rises from this frame, cov- 
ering about one-fourth of the circumference of the 
hind wheel; from this to the back forks, which are 
horizontal, and of wood, vertical flat stays run down, 
forming a dress-guard after the manner of those on 
the latest cycling development — the ladies' Safety. 



HISTORY OF THE BICYCLE, 47 

The action thus obtained is not rotary, being a down- 
ward and forward thrust with return, the feet describ- 
ing a small segment of a circle. That the gearing, 
which constitutes the chief wonder to the critical and 
historical reader, was actually on the machine while 
ridden by Mr, Dalzell, is proved by the receipted 
accounts of the blacksmith John Leslie, who made 
all the iron work used in its construction," 

A glance at the illustrations of the two machines, 
together with the descriptions, shows how many of the 
features of the modern Safety were partially antici- 
pated by McMillan and Dalzell in their inventions. 
Considering the success they are said to have made of 
the machines, it seems curious that we do not learn of 
many others having been made, and almost equally 
singular that the idea was not taken up and still farther 
developed. Had that been done, perhaps the modern 
Safety would have had a much earlier birth, without 
the slow process of development up to the high ordi- 
nary and then down again to the present low type, 
which more closely resembles the original in outline. 

Another blank in. cycling history embraces the 
period succeeding Dalzell's invention. During this 
time various manumotives, it is true, were in use and 
they were being improved — the four-wheeled, then the 
three-wheeled velocipede; double cranked axles ar- 
ranged for foot propulsion; the front steering wheel 
made also a driving wheel; and, finally, on a tricycle, 
foot cranks carrying loose pedals. It is also said that 
prior to i860 a tandem tricycle, "nearly all of wood," 
was built and used, and some other rumors of im- 
provements have been recorded. The most definite 



48 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

of these now seems to have been clarified in a French 
work, "L'histoire Generate de la Velocipede, " by 
M. de Saunier, and upon this writer's statements 
Wheeling bases the following description: 

"Michaux, a carriage repairer in Paris in 1855, had 
an old Draisienne or hobby horse brought to him to 
repair. The Draisienne was at that time nearly ex- 
tinct, but some few were in use, and it was one of 
these that was brought to Michaux. It is a common 
fable that the idea of fitting cranks to the front wheel 
came to him like a flash, but it is only a fable, for it 
was only after long thought and sundry experiments 
that he evolved the crank and pedal, and thus out of 
the dying hobby horse set the now universal bicycle 
on its way. His first idea was to fix a pin on to one 
of the spokes, which pin was passed through the end 
of a long rod, and the rider, after getting up speed 
with his feet on the ground 'a la hobby horse,' had to 
pump up and down with this rod with one hand while 
he steered with the other. This, of course, was found 
to be impracticable, so the inventor fitted a crank to 
one end of the front wheel axle, but still retained the 
hand piston rod idea. Then Michaux found thakhis 
legs were in the way, a rather curious thing in cycling. 
The sequence of ideas told him that he could not only 
get one of them out of the way, but make ituiseful, by 
setting a long bolt at right angles in the end of the 
crank and letting the foot assist by working it. From 
this it was a short step to fit a crank to the other end 
of the axle, discard the hand lever, and devote the 
hands to steering, leaving the stronger and hitherto 
useless legs to do the work of propelling the machine. 



HISTORY OF THE BICYCLE, 49 

The foundation stone of modern cycling was laid. 
But there is another inventor— one Pierre Lallement — 
to whom is more commonly attributed the discovery 
of the pedal motion for velocipedes. Each of these 
two .has his supporters ; but it seems a very even thing. 
Lallement's velocipede was a much more finished arti- 
cle than Michaux's adapted Draisienne, and, save for 
the wooden wheels and ponderous iron fittings, was a 
comparatively similar machine in design — though, of 
course, ungeared — to the front driving Safety of 
to-day. But, though Lallement's cycle was a better 
machine than that of Michaux, the first authentic date 
of its appearance was 1863, eight years after Michaux 
adapted pedal motion to the hobby horse. Yet it is 
almost certain that neither of the inventors knew any- 
thing of the other's work, and the probability is that 
both were unconsciously following the same line of 
reasoning, but too far apart to compare their work." 

If this be correct, Lallement was anticipated by 
some ten years, 1865 being generally accepted as the 
red letter year in cycling history in which this latter 
French mechanic built the first two-wheeled veloci- 
pede, propelled directly by cranks and loose- pedals, 
and having the front wheel both driver and steerer. 
The appearance of Lallement's machine is known, 
however, to have aroused considerable interest; but 
Lallement, either not appreciating his invention, or 
being unable to develop it, sold his interests to his 
employer, and came to this country. Here he soon 
built another velocipede, and joining one J. 'Carrol 
they secured a patent for it in November, 1866. 

This machine "consisted of two wooden wheels, 



$0 WHEELS AXE WHEEL X'C. 

with iron tires, of nearly equal size, one before the 

ier, surmounted by a wooden perch, from wh 
projected downward near its rear end two arms on 
either side the rear wheel, each pair of arms meeting 
at the end of the hub, and forming a bearing for the 
end of the axle; one similar wooden bar projected 

wre end of the perch on either side the 
ward wheel, furnishing bearings for its aode, raid 




LALLEMENr'S Vl 

arranged with a pivot in the perch near the upper end 

so that, by means . a hand-bar above, the fore wheel 

turned in either direction. The perch \ is 

curved downward in the middle and from a 

join I arms (or nrk), rint 

:r the rear wheel, extended a straight steel sprir r< 

saddle for the rider about mi ind over 

the spaec between the two wheels. From this position 

he could place his feet upon the I J pedals on 

the with the front axle, the latter 



J//5 : X )R V 1 1 F THE BIC \ 'CLE. 5 i 

being a iixed one in the wheel, and thus seated, he 
started the machine in motion with his feet on the 
ground as always in the Draisine and then put them 
on the pedals, and propelled it." 

This machine, in which the front wheel was both 
driver and steerer, and driven by cranks and loose 
pedals, thus embodied in a crude form some oi the 
principal features of the ordinary bicycle which, in 
fact, was developed from it some years later. But no 
one at first appreciated its possibilities, the inventor 
himself disposing of his interests and returning to 
France. There he and others continued to build 
similar machines. 

Shortly before this, in August, 1866, an English- 
man, Edward Oilman, patented a velocipede, differ- 
ing somewhat from Lallement's. In it, the front 
wheel was the steerer, while the rear wheel was the 
driver, thus following McMillan and Dalzell in em- 
ploying the principle of the modern Safety. It was to 
be propelled by treadles, connecting with cranks on 
the axle of the driver, to be worked by the feet alter- 
nately. Of it, nothing more is known. 

There was little immediate result from Lallement's 
patent in this country, but in France interest in the 
new vehicle did not die out so easily. The velocipede 
was given more of a trial: attempts were made to im- 
e and lighten it: and, in the course of a year or 
two, a much better machine was produced by several 
makers. 

In a paper, read by W, F. Adams before the Society 
of Cyclists in 1892, he is reported to have said that 
"the fashionable Parisian velocipede was not only very 



5 2 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

elegant, but highly luxurious. Its wheels were of 
hickory, and the bearings were excellent. The beau- 
tiful long steel springs were delicately adjusted to the 
rider's exact weight. A twelve stone rider would 
smash the spring built for a ten stone man, and some- 
times a rider broke his own spring. The cost of these 
springs was ^5 each. The finish of the velocipedes 
was very handsome, and their price ranged from ^25 
to ^30. One maker named Machand turned out 300 
machines a week for a long period, and hundreds of 
these early cycles must still be in existence in Paris. 
Until the recent advent of the pneumatic tire, no 
modern cycle equaled the Parisian boneshaker of 
1866 for comfort. Its wheels were 40-inch front and 
36-inch back. In the winters of 1866 and 1867 
bicycling was the height of the Parisian fashion. 
Everyone who claimed to be anybody possessed a 
velocipede, from the Prince Imperial downward. 
There was a perfect rage for the machines, and cycling 
at the present day is, by comparison with this palmy 
period, the sport of the vulgar. The Prince Imperial 
was an excellent rider, and all the fashionable dandies 
vied with each other in graceful riding. There was 
no racing — -that originated later in England — but 
fancy riding was much cultivated. Schools existed 
for the study of the art of riding. The riders were 
taught to sit erect in their saddles, and stooping for- 
ward was a thing unknown. At the Opera House 
straps were fixed to the walls of the vestibule for hold- 
ing the machines of fashionable velocipedists ; and 
Mr. Adams has counted a hundred velocipedes so left, 
while their owners enjoyed the music within. In the 



HISTORY OF THE BICYCLE. 53 

Bois de Boulogne little paths were laid among the trees 
for the riders. Tiny narrow bridges were erected 
over the lakes, across which the wheelmen rode on to 
the islands, and sometimes, after refreshing themselves 
unwisely at the restaurants, toppled off into the shal- 
low water in effecting their return." 

In England, meantime, the matter was eliciting con- 
siderable discussion, largely in the columns of the 
English Mechanic, where many crude and curious ideas 
were broached, at first principally regarding tricycles 
— their general construction and means of propulsion. 
Cranks and levers were largely discussed, and as early 
as April 20, 1866, an endless chain was suggested. 
The question of change of gear, to aid in overcoming 
varying conditions of road surface, was raised, and 
various suggestions were made looking toward what 
has since been known as a "two speed gear." It was 
also proposed to do away with wooden wheels with 
their flat iron tires and build the wheels of metal with 
* 'quarter-inch steel rods, screwed into hub and headed 
into rim" for spokes, and use a half-round iron inch 
tire. A sociable was also proposed. 

But there was little practical result from all these 
suggestions, and not much seems to have been accom- 
plished during the following year. In 1868, however, 
there were three important steps taken. A French- 
man (judging by his name) living in England, Louis 
Riviere, proposed to make the front wheel larger than 
the back one; an American, C. K. Bradford, sug- 
gested rubber tires; and an Englishman, E. A. Cow- 
per, added the suspension wheel and anti-friction 
bearings, and these features, when combined, produced 



54 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

a greatly modified velocipede — in fact the first 
machine worthy to be called a bicycle. 

But the time was not yet when so many improve- 
ments could be sufficiently comprehended to be incor- 
porated in a single machine, and the velocipede got its 
first foothold in England, as far as actual use is con- 
cerned, from some machines brought over from France 
and ridden by Charles Spencer, R. B. Turner, and 
M. J. Maynall. Their riding aroused considerable 
public interest, and this was farther stimulated by a 
drawing of the velocipede patented in the United 
States by the Hanlons. The matter was taken up 
with renewed vigor, and early in 1869 the word " bi- 
cycle" is said to have been used for the first time. 

The interest in the velocipede, which flagged so 
quickly here in 1866, was partially revived two years 
later, and a patent was taken out by the Hanlon 
brothers, the famous acrobats, in July, 1868. They 
improved the frame, increased the size of the front 
wheel, and used a slotted crank. It was this machine 
which helped to increase the rising wave of enthusi- 
asm in England. 

Here, too, the interest in this improved machine 
continually strengthened, and, in the course of a few 
months, developed into great enthusiasm. In 1869 it 
spread, as Mr. Pratt describes it, "with a feverish 
rapidity and infection, as has been intimated. Rings, 
halls, and riding-schools were opened in rapid and 
multiplied succession in all the principal and many 
of the smaller cities, and the 'velocipede* interest 
became a craze. Manufacturers in a score of towns 
had all they could do to supply the demand for them. 



HISTORY OF THE BICYCLE. 



55 



Merchants, professional men, mechanics, college 
students, and even ladies, hurried to its adoption as a 
pastime and a means of exercise, and also as a hoped- 
for instrument of practical locomotion. In 1869 the 
furore was at its height. A book ["The Velocipede, " 
etc., by J. T. Goddard] was written about it, and a 
journal \The Velocipedist, edited by W. C. King] was 
issued devoted exclusively to the new interest; and 
one of the writers on the subject in that year had con- 
fidence like this: 'The machines now in use are so 




American Velocipede — 1869. 



radically different from those of fifty years ago, so 
perfect in propelling power, so easy to ride, so swift 
of motion, so useful as a means of conveyance, that it 
seems impossible for history to repeat itself with regard 
to the present mania.' " 

The American velocipede of 1869 was unquestion- 
ably a wonderful machine at the time it was produced, 
and not wholly unworthy of the adulation that was 
lavished on it; but, when we compare it with its suc- 
cessors, it seems crude, clumsy, and worthless, so great 



56 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

has been the advance in construction since it was pro- 
duced. 

This machine had wheels of about equal size, from 
thirty-six to forty inches in diameter; was mainly of 
wood, with a little iron work ; the wheels were iron 
shod ; the rider sat midway between them ; and a 
brake, operating on the rear wheel, was connected 
with the handle bar by means of a light chain, or more 
usually a cord. The brake was applied by revolving 
the handle bar forward, and so winding up the cord 
on it. The rider sat so far behind his work that the 
action of the pedaling was an awkward as well as in- 
effective thrust; the machine was heavy and clumsy; 
power was badly applied; a grade of any account 
could not be climbed, nor could one be propelled on 
anything but a hard, smooth surface. As these disad- 
vantages became unpleasantly real to the enthusiastic 
riders their ardor diminished, and so fast did reaction 
follow that in a year or two the few velocipedes to be 
seen were wholly in the hands of boys. While the 
mania lasted, however, some manufacturers had begun 
to build a new pattern, with front wheel much in- 
creased in size and rear wheel much diminished — a 
type approaching more in outline to the modern 
ordinary bicycle ; but the fortunes of the velocipede 
were already on the wane, and this decided improve- 
ment in type came just too late to save the two wheeler 
from dropping wholly out of public view. The writer 
recalls visiting the works of a large carriage maker, 
about 1870, and seeing piled up in his storerooms quan- 
tities of this later type of velocipede, which had been 
produced only to fall flat on a disappearing market 



HISTORY OF THE BICYCLE. 



57 



. For the next six years there was nothing of a 
cycling nature in this country, and what there was in 
France was well-nigh extinguished by the Franco- 
Prussian war, though during this period there was 
steady growth in England. In fact, about as far 
back as 1867, Henry Clarke, of Wolverhampton, had 
begun to build velocipedes and tricycles, and in 1868 
the Coventry Machinists Co. went into the business 
on a considerable scale. By the beginning of 1869 




Phantom Double Steerer — 1869. 

others were also engaged in it, and velocipedes were 
advertised like other goods and merchandise. 

The first marked change from the characteristic 
velocipede type was in the Phantom, a unique machine 
in which the two wheels had motion independent of 
each other. A long pillar divided the diamond shaped 
frame which connected the two wheels, this pillar 
serving as a pivot for the rear wheel, and in effect 
making the steering very difficult, as the wheels thus 
ran independently. In its construction, the hickory 
wheels which at first had been used were abandoned, 



5 8 WHEELS AND WHEELING, 

and iron suspension wheels with rubber tires were sub- 
stituted. The steering, however, prevented this 
machine from becoming popular, though it was more 
or less known for four or five years. In tricycles, the 
hand-driven machine, the Velociman, appeared the 
same year, and now possesses the distinction of having 
been built continuously since then. 

An entertaining item regarding the condition of the 
sport at this time is given by H. H. Griffin in his little 
volume on cycling. He says: 

4 * Owing to the great interest felt in the new-fash- 
ioned sport, a grand exhibition and race meeting of 
* velocipedes' was arranged and duly held in Studley 
Royal Park, and within the shade of that famous and 
most beautiful of all monastic ruins, Fountains Abbey, 
Yorkshire. There, on the grass close to the high 
tower, on Saturday, June 26, 1869, was brought 
together the finest display of cycles ever seen up to 
that date. One of the most interested spectators, and 
an eager inquirer into details, was the present writer. 
Our recollection of that memorable afternoon is clear 
and vivid as if it only happened twenty weeks instead 
of over twenty years ago. A prize of ^4 was offered 
for the best bicycle. This was won by J. Richard- 
son, Jr., Parliament Street, Harrogate, who ex- 
hibited for Newton, Wilson & Co. The second prize, 
jQi ioi"., went to Brindle, of Blackburn, who was 
much disgusted, and poured out a tale of woe that he 
had lost because he had taken off, or forgotten to 
attach, his leg-guard. The points by which the judges 
officially announced the superiority of the Newton- 
Wilson machine were : 1, Leg-guard; 2, double-bear- 



HISTORY OF THE BICYCLE. 59 

ing spring (it bowed out round the socket-head) ; 
3, self-acting lubricators. The Phantom had not 
penetrated so far north. Brindle's bicycle was beau- 
tifully polished, and being of light wood and bright 
steel, was really very pretty to the uneducated eye of 
the period. Another loquacious loser was the vener- 
able J. Crossley, a veteran of fifty, with flowing gray 
beard, and a wonderful kind of bath-chair-like tri- 
cycle, on the merits of which he held forth excitedly. 
Later on he beat a lot of younger men in the tricycle 
race. The first prize for three-wheelers was only 
£2, and was won by W. Younghusband, of Darling- 
ton ; Pearson and Co., of Leeds, taking the second of 
£i. Here the points of vantage were: i, Cyclome- 
ter (termed pedometer); 2, adjustable steering-bar e 
Thus was the Stanley Show anticipated, and a consid- 
erable impetus was given to the trade." 

In spite, however, of such improvements as had 
been suggested or introduced, the prospects of cycling 
were not very bright at the beginning of the seventies. 
The old velocipede predominated, and its continued 
supremacy was a menace to the sport. For two or 
three years improvements came slowly; but they did 
continue to come, and by 1873 were sufficiently marked 
not only to save the sport, but to considerably increase 
it. The velocipede had metal pedals on which the 
hollow of the foot was placed — a most miserable and 
disadvantageous method of propulsion. In 187 1, 
W. H. J. Grant proposed the use of rubber pedals "so 
as to admit of the rider using the front part or toes'' 
in pedaling, and he also vulcanized rubber tires into 
crescent shaped metal rims. This was followed by a 



6o WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

more marked increase in the size of the front wheel, 
and decrease in size of the back one, so that, instead 
of having two wheels of about equal size, say thirty-six 
to forty inches, a machine could now be had with 
about forty-eight and twenty-four inch wheels and 
built almost wholly of metal and rubber. 

In 1873 there was produced by Starley, "the Father 
of the Bicycle," about the first machine embodying 



Ariel Bicycle — 1873. 

most of the features which are found in the modem 
ordinary bicycle. In the Ariel were embodied all the 
good points then known, the machine being on the 
most approved lines, constructed of metal and rubber, 
and with new features, such as a step ; forks carried up 
to the handle bar; and the wheels fitted with a lever 
bar and cross tension spokes designed to take the strain 
off the spokes and convey it directly from axle to rim. 
A lady's bicycle "with lever pedals on the left side 
and forkless backbone" was said to have been also 



HISTORY OF THE BICYCLE. 



61 



"introduced"; but the acquaintance of the public 
with it was doubtless limited to the ''introduction." 

The feature of "cross tension spokes" did not 
become permanent, but in other respects the Ariel was 
a good representative of the new type of machine. 




Ordinary Bicycle — 1876. 

Both the velocipede and bicycle had been in use up to 
about 1874, but about that time the transition to the 
true bicycle type was pretty well under way and was 
completed about 1876, when one of the principal 
houses in the trade showed an illustration like that here 



62 WHEELS AMD WHEELING. 

given, of what they called their "Perfect" bicycle. 
The machine was wholly of metal, except the saddle 
block, brake cord, and tires. It had the high head, 
short handle bars, and great bowed spring characteristic 
of the time ; and it possessed considerable rake, ample 
foot rests, and a rear brake. Roughly speaking, its 
general outline resembled somewhat the principle 
features of the "Rational" ordinary of 1890. 

But few changes were required after this to produce 
the most highly developed form of the modern or- 
dinary bicycle, and they were soon incorporated in 
the machine. The front wheel was increased in size, 
until one could be had of any height up to sixty 
inches. The rear wheel was correspondingly reduced, 
until it fell to twenty, eighteen, and even sixteen 
inches. The old style socket head was replaced by 
the well-known and, later, universally used Stanley 
head. The handle bars were lowered and lengthened. 
The great bow spring was replaced by something 
smaller and neater, and a front wheel spoon brake 
took the place of the rear wheel brake. 

These features, however, at the start were in a more 
or less crude form, being clumsy and heavy as com- 
pared with themselves a few years later. The effort 
to produce a practicable machine had been too great 
to admit of paying much attention to such a question 
as that of weight, and a 54-inch ordinary, in 1875, 
is said to have weighed full sixty-five pounds. In 
fact, nearly ten years later, many a full roadster of 
the same size weighed fifty pounds, and in 1886, when 
the ordinary had been practically perfected, many a 
so-called "light roadster" weighed forty-five pounds, 



HISTORY OF THE BICYCLE. 



H 



though this was too heavy by several pounds to really 
deserve the name. 

As in weight, so in fittings, finish, and all matters 
of detail connected with the machine, modifications 
and' improvements were slight but constant up to 
about 1886, when the final form was reached. Plain 
and roller bearings had been superseded by balls, and 
in 1879 by adjustable ball bearings. These were 
applied first to the front wheel, then: to the rear; later 




Ordinary Bicycle — i£ 



to the pedals; and last (by some makers only), to the 
head. The early nippled and nutted spokes were 
replaced by the "direct" and the various forms of 
"tangent." The tubing used for backbone, forks, 
and bar was changed in shape, gauge, and diameter. 
Twenty-inch straight handle bars yielded to 28- 
inch curved ones ; small, uncomfortable, grips to 
delightful T and spade handles, and hard little "pig 



64 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

skins" to easy hammock saddles. While the machines 
of 1876 and 1886 were of one kind, those of 1886 were 
of a far finer breed than their predecessors. 

Almost contemporaneously with the perfecting of 
the ordinary came the successful advent of the rear- 
driving chain safety, and the newcomer soon sup- 
planted the but recently perfected high wheel. In the 
course of two or three years, the ordinary almost dis- 
appeared, though attempts were made to preserve its 
popularity by building it in a safer and, so-called, 
"rational" form. The "rational ordinary" differed 
from the regular type merely in having an inch or two 
more of rake to the forks ; a rear wheel some four 
inches larger, plenty of clearance for the driving 
wheel, and the saddle a little farther back. A man 
would thus ride a machine a size or two smaller than 
had been his custom, and would have a safer position. 
These machines were fairly well received, but had 
little appreciable effect in arresting the well-nigh uni- 
versal rush for the Safety. 

Late in 1891, however, there was introduced a ma- 
chine whose career excites much interest, particularly 
among old ordinary riders. It is an ordinary bicycle, 
built on "rational" lines, with the addition of the front 
wheel being geared, the gearing being small and com- 
pact, and completely concealed in the front hub. 
"In appearance it scarcely differs from a rational 
ordinary of the prevailing type, but on the crank axle 
on geared side of hub there is a flange which carries 
four pinions. These revolve round the pinion, which 
forms one piece with the bearing, and is therefore 
stationary, and serves as fulcrum for the four pinions 



HISTORY OF THE BICYCLE. 65 

mentioned above. On the inside of hub are cut 
internal teeth, into which the four pinions also 
gear. In action the crank actuates the axle, and 
therefore the four pinions, which again drive the hub 
by means of the internal teeth. The degree of gear- 
ing is determined by the proportion of the number of 
teeth on bearing pinion and in hub, which in the pres- 
ent case are 14 and 38 respectively. The gear so far 
as regards sizes of teeth, etc., is the same as has been 




Geared Ordinary Bicycle — 1891. 

used for many years in the Crypto two-speed gear, in 
which it is subjected to even greater strain, so that the 
makers have every confidence in its standing any strain 
that it may be put to, and also wearing well. This 
gear adds to the weight about two pounds in all, and 
thus compares favorably with the weight of pulley 
wheels and chain in the ordinary R. D. Safety, apart 
from any other considerations, as the whole can be 
neatly boxed in ; it is free from much of that friction 



66 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

from the accumulation of dust, which made the Carter 
gear case so distinct an advantage to road riders dur- 
ing the past year; and a small groove cut in the hub 
will hold a considerable amount of oil, so that the gear 
will run to a great extent in oil, and the combined 
advantages will materially add to the sweetness of the 
running. ,, It will be built in small sizes, forty to fifty 
inch, and an adjustable handle bar will adapt it to any 
size of rider. 

Turning now to the Safety in order to trace it from 
its beginning, it is necessary to revert to an earlier 
date. Cycling was growing steadily in 1883, though 
the difficulties and dangers of the high wheel tended 
to confine it to comparatively young men, and even 
among these to such as were willing to take some risk, 
for on the high wheel it was the sport in which careless- 
ness and inefficiency were surest to bring their own 
speedy punishment. Its delightful and valuable 
features, however, — its exhilaration, and its remark- 
able ability to promote and restore health, were 
just securing more general recognition, and it only 
required a type of wheel as easy as the ordinary to 
propel, while wholly free from danger, to make it the 
most popular sport in the world. Precisely this soon 
came. 

The first attempts to produce a bicycle that would 
be more safe than the ordinary had been made some 
years before. In 1878 there had been built two Safety 
bicycles, having driving wheels somewhat smaller than 
that of an average ordinary, the early pattern of the 
Xtraordinary being furnished in sizes from 48 to 
54 inches, and the Facile from 36 to 52 inches, 



HISTORY OF THE BICYCLE. 6j 

though the larger sizes of the latter were never much 
used. The "Xtra, " as the former was called, got its 
safety qualities, from the great rake of the forks, about 
nine inches, which made it necessary to carry the saddle 
far back. To secure steadiness of steering the forks 
were bent just above the wheel, so that a line drawn 
lengthwise through the head would, if extended, touch 
the ground at the wheel's point of contact. Instead of 
rotary action, it had bent levers connected with the 




Xtraordinary Challenge Bicycle— 1878. 

cranks, and attached at their upper ends to short 
arms, working on universal joints at the sides of the 
forks. This gave quite a different pedal motion. 
The machine was somewhat peculiar as well as rather 
heavy in appearance; but it was safe, and fast, espe- 
cially on rough roads. It soon got a hold on the 
market and has never been entirely out of it in Eng- 
land, though comparatively few have ever been used 
here. 

The Facile bicycle, also produced in 1878, was a 



63 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

somewhat smaller form of Safety. The driving wheel 
was usually 40 inches, and the rear wheel, which was 
22 inches, was carried well back in order to reduce 
the tendency to headers. The front forks were ex- 
tended below the bearings and curved forward, and 
to their ends were jointed pedal levers to which sec- 
ondary cranks were attached. The pedal action con- 
sequently was not exactly rotary. Within a few years 
a system of gearing-up has been adopted, thus making 




Facile Bicycle — 1 



the machine faster. The illustration represents one 
of these. The Facile soon made a place for itself, 
and has always held, and still holds, a good position in 
England. 

These two machines were unlike each other, and 
unlike all other bicycles ; yet, with their individuality 
was enough of merit to bring them into prominence, 
and to carry them through a longer life than has thus 
far been possessed by any other type of bicycle. 



HISTORY OF THE BICYCLE. 69 

Soon after the appearance of the Xtra and Facile 
there was produced in this country a bicycle resembling 
them in several particulars, though at first glance quite 
a different looking machine. This was the Ameri- 
can Star. It had the novel feature of a large rear 
driving wheel and small front steering wheel, and was 
driven by levers and clutches, with a spring to recover 
the lever at each stroke. It had a direct, long, sloping 
steering-post and vertical front forks. The rider sat 




American Star — 1881. 

almost directly over the center of the driving wheel, 
which was built usually as 48, 51, or 54 inches, and 
the steering wheel was 22 inches. In later patterns the 
sizes of the wheels were altered, until finally 39 and 24 
respectively became the favorite sizes, the levers being 
comparatively straight, instead of being bent up as at 
first, so that the machine could be ridden with a 
straight leg. Safety from headers was obtained by 
means of the front steering wheel, but a careful fore- 
and-aft balance had to be maintained, as the small 



70 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

steerer was easily lifted off the ground, and a backward 
fall could be thus taken. The steering was a little 
peculiar, but easily mastered. The machine was a 
good hill climber, and successful on both road and 
path for a number of years. 

Another American-made machine was produced a 
little later. It had a large front wheel, which was both 
driver and steerer, made in sizes from 42 to 46 inches. 
"The safety principle consists in placing the weight 
of the rider much nearer the ground than in the ordi- 
nary machine, and further back ; to do this the front 
wheels are made smaller and the spring longer. The 
upright position of the rider, and the direct downward 
thrust of the feet, are secured by placing the ordinary 
bicycle pedals on levers that are hung below, and 
extend to the rear of the crank a suitable distance to 
effect this result. By connecting the front end of the 
levers to a swinging tubular rod, the pedals move in 
an almost perfect oval curve, and avoid the jerky 
movement caused by the rapidly descending and 
slowly ascending pedal movement of similar Safety 
machines that do not have the swinging rod. The 
joints on the levers are constructed on the ball-and- 
socket principle, so that an accident that bends either 
the levers or the cranks will not cause the machine to 
turn hard in consequence." 

The Xtra, the Facile, the American Star, and the 
American Safety constitute, in a manner, a class by 
themselves, though each has its own perfectly dis- 
tinctive features. They all depart from the type of 
ordinary bicycle, which prevailed when they were 
invented, and in seeking to secure increased safety and 



HISTORY OF THE BICYCLE. 7 1 

greater ease of propulsion, all adopted a lever action. 
In its day, each was known as a Safety; but since 
1885 that term has come to be restricted so entirely to 
the equal wheeled, rear driving, single chain Safety, 
that it is seldom used in connection with other types. 
The introduction to the cycling public of these new 
types, and the success which each one achieved, 
opened the way, in a measure, for still more radical 
departures, and still more strenuous efforts to produce 
an ideal Safety. But the inventors had not waited 




American Safety Bicycle — 1885. 

until this time to make their initital efforts. Though 
these machines may be regarded as constituting a link 
between the ordinary and the modern Safety, the 
inventors had been at work for some time, and while 
their efforts were not conspicuously successful until 
1884, it is necessary to go back as far as 1876 in 
order to find what seems to be the real beginning of 
the Safety. 

It was about 1876 that H. T. Lawson, an English- 
man, invented a rear driving Safety which was manu- 



72 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

factured by Singer & Co. for a short time. It had a 
large rear wheel driven by levers, and a very small 
steering wheel, with a vertical fork and cross handles 
at the top of it. The rider sat nearly over the steering 
wheel, where he was within reach of the handle bar, 
with the driving wheel behind him. Altogether, it 
must have been a clumsy and slow affair, and one not 
likely to meet with much popular favor. 

About three years later Lawson produced another 
Safety. This machine had the steerer larger than the 




Lawson's Safety— 1876. 

driver ; it was driven by a chain and cog wheels ; it 
was geared up, and was steered by means of a nearly 
vertical fork connected by rods with a secondary steer- 
ing post and handle bar. 

This machine struck popular taste no more favor- 
ably than its predecessor. It was called the Bi- 
cyclette, but it was locally known as the ' "Crocodile," 
and is said to have been regarded with considerable 
derision. It was built by Rudge. 

A third large house, the Coventry Machinists' Co., 
tried their hands about this time, at a "Pony" Safety 



HISTORY OF THE BICYCLE. 



73 



invented by W. H. Blood. It seems to have been only 
"a small bicycle, with hanging links to the cranks, on 




o 

CO 
CO 



w 

H 
H 

W 

u 

u 

s 



the ends of which the pedals were." 
successful. 



It did not prcve 



74 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

During the next few years no striking departures 
from old lines appear to have been made, but in 1883 
Hillman, Herbert & Cooper brought out the Kanga- 
roo Safety. It was a front driving and steering 
machine, like the ordinary bicycle, of which it was a 
dwarf pattern rather than a true Safety. The forks 
were continued below the center of the driving wheel, 
which had two cog wheels on each side,— one at the 
axle, and one at the end of each fork, — so that two 
chains were used, and the machine was geared up. 
There was a tolerably large back wheel, and the saddle 
was fairly back; but, though the machine was un- 
doubtedly safer than the ordinary, it was by no means 
an ideal Safety. 

The Kangaroo, by establishing a new record in a 
hundred mile road race, speedily became famous and 
then jumped at once into popular favor. Nearly every 
maker in England copied it more or less closely, and 
in this country one firm brought out a pattern. The 
Kangaroo was novel, and was successful — at least, 
temporarily; but it was never entirely satisfactory 
either in the working of the chains or in its general 
qualities. Moreover, it happened, that while it was 
achieving success, inventors were busy developing quite 
another type, which was destined, in the course of a 
year or two, to supplant it in public favor, and, not 
much later, to drive the older ordinary almost wholly 
out of the field. 

In 1890 the Scottish Cyclist brought to light the fact 
that a peculiar rear driving Safety had been built in 
1884, and described it as follows: 

"The machine was built in May, 1884, at the Howe 



HISTORY OF THE BICYCLE, 75 

Machine Co's. Works, Bridgeton, under the superin- 
tendence of Mr.Rudling, an Englishman, who endeav- 
ored to induce the firm to place the machine on the 
market. Two of these machines were actually built, 
but the Howe Co. could not come to terms as to roy- 
alty with the inventors and designers, and they took 
their machine elsewhere, though what ultimately be- 
came of it we are unable to say. One is at present to 




Kangaroo Safety — 1883. 

be seen at the Bridgeton works. It will be seen the 
machine has many things in common with the modern 
Safety. It is rear driven, as in the present type, 
except that the chain is outside the frame in the Mar- 
vel; it has ball bearings on all fricti6n parts; tubing 
was used in its construction, and the frame has some- 
thing of the diamond in its appearance, while it has 
center steering — the steering being direct. Both seat 



;6 



WHEELS AND WHEELING. 



.Hid steering pillars are adjustable, The tread was 
rather wide, bul this was to allow the front wheel to 
clear the cranks when steering, Mr, M,i< farlane tills 
us it steered very easily, and he obtained 8 good Speed 
out oi it, though, ol ( ourse, owing to the small size of 
the wheels, there was considerable vibration, We 
have seen reference made to the Marvel in a con 
temporary, hut, apparently, its construction seem:; to 
be altogel her unknown. 

11 We give below an extract from the Scottish Athletic 
Journal, of July i S, 1SS4, which gave a description of 
the machine, which will he read now with interest: 

"'Bicycle novelties are being daily introduced, 
Some are said to be improvement^, bul on trial they 
have generally been found not to answer the expecta 
lions of their sanguine inventors. Very few of the so- 
called improvements ever come to anything, I think, 
however, I have lighted upon one which presents many 
points which will commend it to the cycling public, and 
which has, I firmly believe, a brilliant future before it. 

In response to a note from Mr. \V. Mael.11 Line, who 

informed me he had a novelty to show me, I hied me 
out to the works of the Howe Machine Co., at Bridge- 
ton, where I found the genial Mac installed ina posi- 
tion of some responsibility. I asked him to produce 

Ins novelty, and I am prepared to admit honestly the 
novelty rather took me aback, [.confess I fell some- 
what skeptical .it first as Mac detailed the excel- 
lences oi a machine which I at first thought was a toy 
bicycle. After a thorough examination of the ma- 
chine, and seeing it tested, 1 believe there is a great 
future before the Marvel Safety Bicycle, 



HIS 7 OR V F 7 7/ A BIC YCLE . 7 7 

11 'The Marvel is a Safety bicycle on an altogether 

new plan. It is neither an imitation of the Facile nor 
of the Kangaroo. The only similarity between the 
latter and the Marvel is that both are driven by chain 
gear, but here the similarity ends. The driving 
wheel, which, by the way, is the rear wheel, is only 25 
inches in diameter, and the steering wheel 18 inches. 
The machine is geared up to 50 inches, or double. 




Marvel Safety — 1884. 

The large wheel of the gearing is fixed to the frame 
between the two wheels, and the small one to the axle 
of the driving wheel, the chain acting horizontally. 
The rider is seated directly over his work, and it is 
claimed, and with some show of reason, that more 
work and better pace can be got out of the Marvel 
than out of any ordinary 50-inch roadster. The stand- 



7$ WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

ard pattern will, I believe, be 30-inch driving and 
18-inch steering wheels, the machine being geared up 
to 65 inches. 

" 'The saddle is adjustable with cradle spring. 
The Marvel can be ridden with ease by the smallest 
boy as well as the tallest man. All that is required is 
to raise or lower the seat and handles. The cranks 
are of the usual character, with a 5 -inch throw. The 
steering is done direct from the head, in the new type of 
machine, and, what is more, steering is quite easy. It 
is fitted with ball-bearings, on all friction parts, and the 
frame-work is made of hollow metal. It weighs slightly 
over thirty pounds.' " 

The Marvel Safety appears to have been, like 
the "Bicyclette" of 1880, one of those things that 
seem to have in them nearly all the elements of suc- 
cess, but still somehow just fail to achieve it. Look- 
ing back at the year 1884, and comparing the Mar- 
vel with the original Rover, produced at almost the 
same time, it would seem that the Marvel ought 
to have become the prototype of the modern Safety; 
but it vanished from sight, and soon from mind, while 
the persistent attention given the Rover by its in- 
ventor soon resulted in the development of a practi- 
cal machine. 

The Marvel seems to have been so completely 
forgotten that even the veteran Henry Sturm ey, in his 
sketch of the ''History of the Safety Biccyle," in the 
Cyclist early in 1890, makes no allusion to it; but, on 
the other hand, A. J. Wilson mentions it in his little 
book, "The Pleasures, Objects, and Advantages of 
Cycling," published in 1887. Though Mr. Wilson 



HISTORY OF THE BICYCLE. 79 

speaks of it as ' 'made for experiment by Rucker & Co., ' ' 
his description of it makes it identical with the Mar- 
vel already described and illustrated, and he calls it 
by the same name. He learned to ride the machine 
with considerable difficulty, as he found that the short 
wheel base made it exceedingly sensitive, and very 
difficult to control. What became of the experi- 
mental machine he does not say. 

At about the same time that the Marvel was pro- 
duced, the earliest pattern of the Rover was under 
way. Mr. Sturmey, the editor of the Cyclist, had 
personal knowledge of the genesis of this machine; 
consequently, his relation of his experience with its 
development is of peculiar interest. In his sketch in 
the Cyclist he said, speaking of 1884: 

4 'About this time, or a little before, Messrs. Star- 
ley & Sutton introduced a tricycle in which the rider 
was placed behind his driving axle, and his seat placed 
rather in front .of than behind the crank axle, as was 
done in the majority of other tricycles. The success 
of this machine as a hill-climber induced the inventor 
— J. K. Starley — to work out the principle as applied 
to a bicycle, and the result was a machine with nearly 
equal wheels, driven from the back as now, but steered 
like Lawson's original Bicyclette or 'Crocodile,* with 
a vertical fork, secondary handles, and connecting 
links. This machine went easily enough, but its 
steering was neither firm nor direct, and the long frame 
and connecting bars gave it a heavy and complicated 
appearance, which militated against its commercial 
success, and, although the inventor stuck to it, with the 
firm conviction that its principle was right, it would 



80 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

doubtless have fallen into obscurity but for the altera- 
tion in the steering method which was shortly after- 
ward made. 

4 'And here we are introduced once again to the 
inventor Lawson, who about the same time produced 
at the works of the National Cycle Company, of 
which he was then manager, a machine, the ostensible 
object of which was to permit of the use of the bicycle 
by a lady. This was a rear driver, driven by a chain. 
The frame was constructed of a single tube bent into 
a large curve, carrying the saddle at one end, the 
driving-wheel bearings in the middle, the crank bear- 
ings lower down, and terminating in the connection 
with the steering wheel. In this machine a very small 
steering wheel was used, and the steering was effected 
by a sloping fork and the cross handles, the steering 
being direct as now, and the forks, owing to the small 
size of the steerer, almost vertical. This machine was 
likewise doomed to commercial failure. Its frame was 
insufficiently rigid, and-.the small size of the steering 
wheel prevented its getting a fair trial. 

' 'We rode both this and Starley's original Rover 
at the time, and a member of our staff — Mr. Golder — 
used Lawson's machine a good deal for 'pottering 
about' upon, with the result that he became fairly au 
fait with it, and was able to manage it pretty well. 
In a conversation with Mr. Starley the question of 
wheel principles was entered into, and upon our sug- 
gesting the alteration of the Rover to direct steering, 
he admitted he had not tried it, as he was under the 
impression that the vertical fork was necessary to 
secure proper steering. We referred to the Lawson 



HISTORY OF THE BICYCLE. 



81 



machine as a proof that with practice a slightly slop- 
ing fork could be manipulated successfully, and refer- 
ring him to Mr. Golder for a proof of its practicability. 
The result of that conversation was that Mr. Starley 
built a machine as a trial, in which he substituted the 
sloping direct fork for the arm-and-link arrangement 




Original Rover Safety — 1884. 

as hitherto adopted, retaining the large steering wheel 
and other structural features of the original Rover, 
and placed it at Mr. Golder's disposal to see if he 
could ride it. For the first few days it took him all 
his time to keep upright upon it, but its intricacies 
being once mastered the capabilities of the new ma- 
chine were quickly proved in his runs with the club, 



82 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

for whereas several members had been able to hold 
him when he was riding his ordinary, with the new 
mount he was able to show the whole club his back 
wheel, especially up-hill. 

"This practical proof of the value of the machine 
decided Messrs. Starley & Sutton to go ahead, and 
within a month or two the example of Messrs. Hill- 
man, Herbert & Cooper, who had introduced the 
Kangaroo with a big road race, was followed, and a 
hundred miles contest was arranged. Upon that test 
practically hung the future of the machine. Had the 
times accomplished fallen short of those made in the 
Kangaroo ride of the previous year, there is little 
doubt but that it would have taken much longer to 
make its way in public opinion than it did. But, as 
the result showed, the Kangaroo times were beaten 
considerably by George Smith, the same rider who had 
won the Kangaroo ride, while Mr. Golder himself 
lowered the fifty miles' road record, which had previ- 
ously stood for many years, by nearly a quarter of an 
hour. Taking due advantage of this success, the firm 
energetically placed the machine upon the market, and 
from that day the success of the Rover was assured. 
The next two seasons saw a rapid decline of the Kan- 
garoo-type mounts, and a steady, yet certain, replace- 
ment of it in the makers' pattern books by machines 
on Rover lines: ' ' 

The word Safety had been pretty closely asso- 
ciated with the Kangaroo type for a year or two; and 
this fact led at first to the use of the word Rover as 
a general name for all Safeties of the new pattern — 
those with wheels of nearly equal size, the front wheel 



HISTORY OF THE BICYCLE. 



S3 



steering and the rear one driving by means of a single 
chain. But the Kangaroo was soon driven from 
the field; all makers brought out Rover pattern 
machines; the word Rover gradually lost its mean- 
ing as the designation of the type, and the word 
Safety replaced it. Not long after — perhaps two 
or three years — the ordinary bicycle was so nearly 
driven from the fieid that its manufacture practically 
ceased, and the Safety took its place. It thus 
gradually came about that the word Safety was 




Antelope Safety — 1885. 



hardly necessary any longer as the designation of a 
class or type, for its class preponderated so greatly as 
to become almost universal, and the general term 
"bicycle" was applied to it. If the high wheel was 
mentioned, it was spoken of as the ordinary or high 
bicycle. 

The ' 'Indispensable Handbook to the Safety 
Bicycle" was issued in 1885, and was devoted almost 
entirely to machines of the Kangaroo pattern, there 
being then but few of the new Rover type in the 
market. There were, however, illustrations of three 



84 



WHEELS AND WHEELING. 



or four of the new type, including the Original Rover, 
previously given. 

Another was the Antelope, which claimed to be 
"the only Safety in the market giving a perfect open 
front to the rider. " Its wheels were 36 and 20 
inches; the steering automatic; and the handles, which 
curved around, were actuated on a swivel, and con- 
nected with the steering wheel by means of two paral- 
lel rods. A very similar machine, the "B. S. A." 




Pioneer Safety— 1885. 



(Birmingham Small Arms) had 32- and 20-inch wheels, 
and a vertical steering post directly in front of the 
saddle. This post carried a cross handle bar at the 
top, and at the bottom was connected with parallel 
rods which ran to the steering head. 

The Pioneer was of a somewhat more advanced 
type. It had 30- and 20-inch wheels, a cross frame, 
direct steering, and a long sloping steering post nearly 
in line with the front forks. 

The Humber approached somewhat nearer to some 



HISTORY OF THE BICYCLE. 85 

varieties of the diamond frame of later days. Its 
wheels were 30 and 18 inches; its steering was 
automatic; there was direct steering with a long slop- 
ing steering post, and the front forks were vertical. 

With the exception of the original Rover, nearly 
every one of these early machines had a steering wheel 
very much smaller than its driving wheel, while the 
forks either sloped at bad angles, or were vertical with 




Humber Safety — 1885. 

some awkward device designed to bring the handles 
within the rider's reach. Such combinations resulted 
in giving very peculiar or sensitive steering, to remedy 
which some automatic device was generally adopted, 
and was at that time considered very important. 
Even as late as 1887, A. J. Wilson refers in his book 
to this sensitiveness of steering, and remarks that on 
the Humber "this defect is remedied, and the cam- 
and-spring controller aid in steadying the steering/ ' 



86 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

The next two years, however, were destined to see 
a general settling down to the \Uj\':r type, and the 
steady disappearance of the Kangaroo type. So 
strong indeed was the movement that but few Kan- 
garoo machines were left to be described when the 
4 'Indispensable Handbook" i ppeared in 1887. 

The general outline of the Rover Safety, as it 
now assumed definite shape, is found in most of the 
1887 machines. It consisted of a simple cross frame 
— the backbone connecting the rear forks in a straight 




Cross Frame Safety. 

line with the steering head, which was of the hinged 
variety working in lugs behind the steering post; a 
pillar crossing the backbone nearly at right angles, 
immediately in front of the driving wheel, carrying the 
saddle post at its upper and the crank axle at its lower 
end; sloping steering post and front forks; stay rods 
between the crank axle and driving-wheel axle, and 
sometimes additional stays, one being shown in the 
cut, between the crank axle and forward part of the 
backbone. This was the prevailing type in 1887, 



HISTORY OF THE BICYCLE. 87 

though several makers showed more originality in pro- 
ducing frames which gave promise of the diamond 
variety afterward so popular. 

The cross frame, if stayed to both the crank axle 
and the top of the seat pillar, gave a sort of triangle at 
the rear, and led to an early modification in frames 
called the semi-diamond. This, however, never 
superseded the cross frame, but a few makers have 
continued to use it in slightly modified forms, the most 
marked change being, in some cases, the forking of the 




Semi-diamond Frame Safety. 

lower end of the upright pillar so that the ends of the 
crank axle are carried by arms. 

The type of frame known as the diamond, how- 
ever, soon supplanted all others in popular favor. It 
was, at first, nearly a true diamond in shape, the 
upper and lower tubes coming together within an inch 
or two at the head; and it was of the "open" variety 
— that is, there was no cross tube to stay it. But this 
was soon improved in two particulars; a cross tube 
was added, either curved, to follow the line of the 



SS WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

driving wheel, or straight; and the forward part of 
the frame was made more open, the tubes being car- 
ried to join the steering post at the ends of a long 
steering head. This gave the " divided" or "double" 
diamond which, while not quite a true diamond in 
shape, is technically given that name. 

The other principal modification in the frame of 
the Safety is the use of a curved, or "drop" frame, by 
means of which the machine is perfectly adapted to a 




Diamond Frame Safety. 

•woman's use, there being nothing whatever in the way 
of her skirts. 

After the success of the equal- wheeled Safety bi- 
cycles, a Star Safety, with nearly equal wheels driven 
by levers, and a sort of semi-diamond frame, was 
brought out; and in 1891, another pattern, called the 
JRover Star, which had a frame almost like the earlier 
American Star, but wheels of about 30 and 36 inches, 
appeared. 

According to generally accepted notions, one of the 
most striking things among Safety bicycles is thg 



HISTORY OF THE BICYCLE. 89 

machine known as the Hickory, its name being taken 
from the material of which its wheels and frame are 
made. It was at first made only as a drop frame, 
though a diamond frame has since been built. It is 
well made and finely finished, and has many good 
features. Metal is used only where necessary, as in 
handle bar, front forks, and cranks. The hub is rock 
elm, and spokes and rear forks hickory. It is light 
and strong. 

In an earlier part of this chapter, the latest design 




Drop Frame Safety. 

in high wheels — the geared ordinary — was described. 
The company which introduced it have also produced 
a chainless Safety, in which essentially the same gear is 
used, and applied to the front wheel. This gives a 
practically equal-wheeled machine which is both front 
driver and steerer, and consequently one which must 
be characterized by many features of its own, not a 
few of which will be found very different from those 
possessed by the chain-driven rear driver. 

"The new chainless Safety, " says Bicycling IVews, 
"will be an equal- wheeled ordinary with a 30-inch 



9° WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

driver and a 28-inch trailer. This will be driven 
direct from the front forks like the ordinary, the gear 
fitted being rather more elaborate, the pinion wheels 
having ball bearings all around. The rider, to obtain 
the favorite behind-the-work position, will get well 
back from the head, the back of the saddle being 
15, 16, or 17 inches away therefrom, the work being 
practically under the head at the end of the short, and 
consequently very rigid, front forks; the handles will 




Hickory Safety Bicycle. 

be adjustable, and the rider's position practically the 
same with regard to his work as on the Safety. 

"From the head will come an ordinary backbone, 
which, if it possesses a certain amount of spring, will 
be none the worse, and a hind fork, in which will run 
a simple trailing wheel, which, we venture to predict, 
will decrease in size as the advantage of the inflated 
tire becomes more apparent. This trailing wheel will 
have but one function, and will only carry its share of 
the rider's weight and nothing more. Now, if any one 
of our readers will take the trouble to sketch a bone- 
shaker in outline, that will represent the outline of the 



HISTORY OF THE BICYCLE. 9 1 

new Safety, if he imagines the wheels to be 30 inches x 
28 inches with the necessary space between them, and 
a slight rake on the front forks, and then measures 
back 15 or 16 inches from the head, he will find that 
the rider will be placed equidistant from the center of 
either wheel, and in the very best position as regards 
running and vibration, while, at the same time, his work 
is suitably placed as regards the saddle. 

"Thus all the points aimed at by the long wheel 
base will be attained without the necessity of adding 




Crypto Geared Safety Bicycle — 1891. 

inches to the length of frame; the work and material 
used in trying to secure the rigidity of the bottom 
bracket will be unnecessary, and the bottom bracket 
itself will disappear; the front wheel instead of the rear 
one will be driven, the feet can assist the steering, and 
the rear wheel, though carrying its share of the weight, 
can be made lighter. No undue strain will be thrown 
on either wheel, and the apostles of vibration will see 
the ideal they so often talked about fully carried out." 
The inventor of the machine, an experienced 



92 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

wheelman, discusses its merits in a letter to the Cyclist^ 
and compares it with the chain-driven Safety as 
follows : 

"But now that it is generally admitted that a rider 
must sit well back in order to do good work, the whole 
situation is changed as by a magician's wand. The 
best relative positions for saddle and crank bracket are 
still matters of discussion, but I think it will be gener- 
ally admitted that the center of saddle must be 12 
inches, and may be 16 inches behind crank axle. I 
may mention here that Mr. R. C. Nesbitt and Mr. A. 
Webb and other riders pronounce the rider's position 
on our new Geared Ordinary as perfect, and the cen- 
ter of saddle, as they are riding it, is i6| inches behind 
axle. With center of saddle even 10 inches behind 
axle, a front driver is for all practical purposes as safe 
as a rear driver, while with saddle 15 inches behind, a 
"header" can only be caused by an obstacle if encoun- 
tered even on a rear driver. 

"Now, if the above be admitted, let us see what fol- 
lows, and first let us consider what are the defects of 
the present chain Safety. These are, in my opinion : 
(1) The chain itself. As a means of transmitting 
power on a cycle it is unmechanical, dirty, difficult to 
protect from mud, and full of friction when muddy. 
Its best friends would gladly be rid of it, and the con- 
stant cry is to be delivered from it. (2) Owing to the 
driving not being done directly upon the driving wheel 
the frame is complicated, and there is a great amount 
of torsional strain, the two chain wheels being sprung 
more or less out of line at every stroke, even on the 
best constructed machines. (3) The rider's weight is 



HISTORY OF THE BICYCLE. 93 

badly distributed. Instead of being seated midway 
between the two equal-sized wheels, almost all his 
weight is on the back wheel, and he therefore gets the 
whole shock of every obstacle. An attempt is being 
made in the latest pattern frames to place the rider 
more midway between his wheels, and no doubt the 
long frame is an improvement in this respect. If the 
rider and crank bracket could be brought forward 
without throwing the front wheel also further forward, 
the ideal position would soon be attained, but unfor- 
tunately this cannot be done, and the gain in distribu- 
tion of weight in the long frame, is therefore, only 
slight, and got at the expense of neatness and of light- 
ness or rigidity. 

"Now let us take the same wheels, say 30 inches 
and 28 inches, and drive on the front wheel, and what 
do we get ? (1) A neat, light dust-proof gearing con- 
cealed in hub, and weighing, with cranks and bearings 
complete, about 6 pounds. And to setoff against this, 
we save the chain bracket and chain wheel complete, 
the back hub and chain wheel complete, the chain, the 
chain adjustment, and the chain guard; or for 1892 
Harrison Carter's chain case, which, I am sure, will 
be a sine qua non on all the best machines. And let 
it be understood that I am not assuming that the 
Crypto is the only gear that can be used, though I 
naturally think it will be hard to beat. (2) The 
frame is the simplest that can possibly be conceived, 
viz., the ordinary type as against the complicated 
frame of the chain Safety. (3) The rider is at once 
placed in the very ideal position, viz., midway between 
the wheels, and as a consequence he gets only half the 



94 WHEELS AMD WHEELING. 

shock from each. (4) The machine is much more 
compact. Instead of being six feet or more in length it 
is only five feet. (5) The steering and driving being on 
the same wheel, there is a feeling of unity between 
man and machine which is impossible with the rear 
driver. There will also be far less tendency to slip on 
greasy roads. Against all these advantages the only 
drawback I can discover is the tendency (common to 
all front drivers) for the front wheel to slip round in 
going up a very stiff incline. This so rarely occurs as 
to be hardly worth a moment's consideration." 

Right in line with this invention is an American 
chainless Safety of yet more original character. "Its 
entire weight, stripped of mud guards, for heavy road 
use, suitable for a two hundred pound rider, is twenty- 
seven pounds, it being possible to make the weight of 
this machine fully ten pounds less than the rear driver 
by doing away with sprocket wheels, chain, crank 
hanger, etc., etc. The machine has 30-inch driving 
wheel, geared to 60 inches, and a 26-inch rear wheel. 
It is fitted with either cushion or pneumatic tires. 
The position of the rider is identically the same as on 
the improved model of English Safeties, the saddle 
being in the exact position relative to the pedals as on 
the Humber. 

"The Chainless Telegram is bound to develop a 
great deal of speed. The fine construction of the 
front hub will be readily appreciated, as there are 172 
balls used in it alone. The gear used was constructed 
and planned entirely by Mr. F. H. Bolte. The frame 
and other details are also his own design. It is easily 
steered with the feet on the pedals without making any 
use whatever of the handles, the same as on the 



HISTORY OF THE BICYCLE. 95 

G. 0.0. It is unquestionably superior to all other 
styles of geared ordinaries from the fact that the front 
wheel is only 30 inches, whereas the driving wheels 
of the English machines of this class are from 40 to 



Chainless Telegram Safety — 1892. 

46 inches in diameter. By thus reducing the size 
of the front wheel perfect safety is insured to the 
rider, and the makers are prepared to furnish these 
machines with 28-, 30-, or 32-inch front wheels." 



TRICYCLES. 

TO the great majority of wheelmen of these latter 
days, there is but one type of cycle, and that cycle 
is the Safety; but under the general term * 'cycle" are 
likewise to be included both tricycle and quadricycle, 
and of these the tricycle has, in its day, played a most 
important part. In England its day is not entirely 
past, and it still appears there, though in a restricted 
sphere; but in this country it has almost entirely van- 
ished from sight. This rapid disappearance of the 
tricycle is probably due chiefly to three causes, (i) 
the general wretchedness of our roads, nearly all of 
them being almost impassable for a three wheeler; 

(2) the comparatively small proportion of the popula- 
tion who have yet learned to use a cycle, those who 
have thus far learned being such as have felt suffi- 
ciently strong and ambitious to master a Safety; and 

(3) absence of such light tricycles as would compare at 
all favorably with Safeties, and be an inducement for 
anyone to use them. 

These difficulties in the way of the growth of tri- 
cycling here do not exist in England, and tricycles 
keep a hold there. With the growth of the sport here, 
with an ever increasing number of elderly riders, and 
with the slow improvement of our roads, there will be 
a growing field for a really light tricycle built on mod- 
ern lines, and one will be welcomed when its good 

96 



TRICYCLES. 97 

points are once learned. Those who have never rid- 
den a tricycle, and those who have never ridden any 
but some heavy machine of antiquated pattern, have 
no conception of its possibilities, or how nearly, on 
good roads, it is able to approach the bicycle. Its 
possibilities are shown by the facts that at both fifty 
and one hundred miles the tricycle records are faster 
than those of any ordinary bicycle, and for a twenty- 
four hours' ride it is but half a mile behind the ordi- 
nary. See tables of records, at the end of this vol- 
ume. At the present, however, interest in the tricycle 
is chiefly historical, or perhaps antiquarian some would 
have it; but even here it lacks the interest of the bi- 
cycle, for it does not show the same course of compara- 
tively steady development, and though it was designed 
(at least in a four-wheel form) long before the Celeri- 
pede and Draisine, it was not till about 1877 that any 
great effort was made to develop it. The term " tri- 
cycle* ' seems to have been first used in 1828, and 
applied to some three-wheeled machine. 

Probably the first vehicle designed to be driven by 
its rider of which we have record is one described in 
the English periodicals of 1769. A writer in the Gen- 
tleman s Magazine, who signed himself ' 'Hibernicus," 
then referred to it as having been mentioned by a pro- 
fessor in Trinity College, Dublin, three years before. 
Concerning it, the "Tricyclists' Vade Mecum" of 
1885 says: 

The machine described was a cumbrous affair, being 1 merely 
a heavily constructed four-wheel chaise, the two front wheels of 
which were steered by means of a handle coming- up through the 
flooring, and the two back wheels being driven by means of a 



9^ WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

pair of clumsy ratchet wheels on their axle. After explaining this, 
by the assistance of diagrams, " Hibernicus " continues : " The 
method of putting this chaise in motion is this : a person being 
seated in the body of a common chaise (which is placed in tr^e 
usual manner on the springs) takes hold of the handle to direct it, 
while another person gets into the box, and, treading alternately on 
the planks behind, turns the pulley, which makes the plates of iron 
catch hold of the notches in the little wheels, and consequently 
sets them and the great wheels in motion, and forces the machine 



QUADRICYCLE — 1 766. 

along, quicker or slower, according to the rapidity of the motion 
of the person's feet who stands on the planks/' 

In the same month, August, 1769, an illustrated article appeared 
in the London Magazine, commencing, " the conversation of the 
public having been so greatly taken up with a machine to move 
without horses, we are persuaded the preceding plate, with the fol- 
lowing explanation, will be not a little agreeable to our readers." 
Then follows the description of the machine referred to in the 
Gentleman's Magazine, concluding : " Thus you will readily ap- 
prehend that the footman putting his feet alternately upon either 
plank, one of the plates will turn one of the notched wheels. For 
example ! If he leans with his foot upon the plank T, it descends 
and raises the olank S, which cannot rise, but at the same time 
the plate of iron that enters the notches of the wheel must needs 
make it turn on its axle-tree, and, consequently, the great wheels. 



TRICYCLES. 99 

Then the footman leaning upon the plank S, the weight of his 
body will make it descend and raise the other plank T, which 
turns the wheel again ; and so the motion will be continued. 
You may easily imagine that, while the two hind wheels advance, 
the fore wheels must likewise advance, and that these will always 
advance straight, if the person that sits in the chaise manages 
them with reins made fast to the fore-beam." 

As the driving wheels of this machine were fully sixty inches 
in diameter, and the footman who did the driving had to propel 
himself, the heavy " common chaise," and the man in front who 
steered, it will be easily understood that the " chaise to go with- 
out horses " would not be a practical success. The ratchet wheels 
being about eighteen inches in diameter as compared to the sixty 
inches diameter of the driving wheels, afford a remarkable instance 
of the ignorance which people in those days must have been 
subject to on the principles of mechanical power, the proportions 
mentioned exhibiting a very decided instance of "gearing up." 
Therefore, when these considerations are borne in mind, the con- 
cluding remarks of the writer in the London Magazine will be 
fully appreciated : " N. B. — The velocity of these carriages de- 
pends upon the activity of the manager." 

The next record of early experiment is contained in the Eng- 
lish Magazine for October, 1777, where, under date October 16, 
the following appears : " An ingenious Smith, at Newcastle, w r e 
hear, has invented a machine to go without horses, similar to a 
four-wheeled chase, wherein a person may travel at the rate of six 
miles an hour. It has been tried on the Moor, near Newcastle, 
and in the streets of that town, greatly to the satisfaction of the 
inventor ; and though it should meet with any obstructions in stony 
ground, it gets over these difficulties very readily. It has a saddle 
for a person to sit on who puts the spring in motion, stirrups to 
keep his feet from the ground, with a proper seat behind for a 
person to sit on, wherein the greater the weight is, the safety to 
the person is proportionable." From this it is open to doubt 
whether the machine was fitted with a coiled spring-motor, or 
whether manual levers were used. 

Le Journal de Paris contained, on the 27th July, 1 779, a de- 



IOO WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

scription of a four-wheeled pedomotive, invented by MM. Blan- 
chard and Masurier ; but this, like its forerunners, was a clumsy 
contrivance,and was never regarded as anything but a toy. A similar 
result appears to have attended upon ensuing experiments, and even 
as late as a year or two ago, mechanics have employed their leisure 
time in devising four-wheeled velocipedes, of more or less faulty 
construction, without success. 

No mention is made, in any known book, of a three-wheeled 
velocipede until 1839, but in 18 19 the introduction of the two- 
wheeled " hobby-horse " — the progenitor of the modern bicycle — 
appears to have led to three-wheelers being made on a similar princi- 
ple, the rider sitting astride a crudely formed bar, which rested in 
front at the top of a fork containing a wooden wheel, and at the 
rear on similar forks holding two wheels abreast. This is exem- 
plified in a caricature by T. R. Cruikshank, "published by Side- 
botham, 287 Strand, 1819." In this there appears no arrange- 
ment of cranks, the motion being obtained by the rider striding 
along the ground, partly seated on the bar, which thus served 
merely to enable him to take long strides. 

Another print, "published May 21, 1819, by J. Hudson, 85, 
Cheapside," is the earliest record we possess of a genuine pedomo- 
tive tricycle ; the note at the foot saying : " The principle of this 
machine consists in two boards acting on cranks on the axle of the 
fore wheel, in a similar manner to those used for the purpose of 
turnery, and is accelerated by the use of handles, as represented 
in the plate ; the direction is managed by a center handle, which 
may be fixed so as to perform any given circle." The front (driv- 
ing) wheel of this machine is represented as of about three feet 
diameter, and the rider is a lady. That this machine was actually 
made and ridden seems confirmed by another print, " published 
May 22, 1819, by T. Tugg, in Cheapside," which is practically 
of identical design with the one published in the same street only 
one day earlier. 

A great many other prints published in 18 19 caricature the 
same kind of machine, so that it appears conclusive that this was 
the year in which crank-action tricycles originally appeared. 
Various magazines, too, noticed the invention of similar machines ; 



TRICYCLES. io I 

one published in 1839, gravely portraying a lad driving (?) a tri- 
cycle, whose wheels were about eight or nine feet in diameter, the 
cranks here being attached to foot-boards, similar to those used 
upon the tinker's grinding-trucks to this day. The Great Western 
Magazine, in Jane, 1863, published an article on " Velocipedes," 
from which we extract the following : ' ' Toward the close of last 
summer, two gentlemen of Bristol, declining for the time the facil- 
ities afforded by the Great Western Railway, journeyed up to the 
Great International Exhibition, from that ancient city, on those 
machines popularly known as velocipedes.". This would appear to 
have been the first velocipede tour on record, but whether the ma- 
chine under notice was a three or four wheeler does not transpire. 
But the actual origin of the tricycle of to-day must be traced 
to the bicycle. The original two-wheeled velocipede, introduced 
into this country from Paris in 1869, of the pattern which is now 
denominated a " boneshaker, " had been gradually and steadily 
improved to such an extent that the pastime of bicycle riding had 
established itself on a footing in the front rank of British sports, 
and the great advantages of this method of locomotion came to be 
so widely recognized that a want grew up for some vehicle which, 
while possessing the locomotive powers of the bicycle, should be free 
■ from the peril attaching to the riding of a machine of that nature. 
The element of danger which was, and still is, to a certain extent, 
inseparable from riding the bicycle, might possess a charm for 
young men with few responsibilities, but among middle-aged men 
there were considerations which made the possibility of meeting 
with accidents a contingency to be avoided ; beside which, the 
necessity of acrobatically mounting and balancing a bicycle made 
it unsuitable for those who had passed their youthful days, as well 
as for even young men who did not care to run the risks and 
endure the inconveniences of bicycling. In addition, there was 
the fair sex to be provided for, and although a few very daring 
young ladies were found willing to learn to ride a sidesaddle 
bicycle, the position thereon, and the restriction to one foot for 
working the machine, made such a performance more of the 
nature of a circus-trick than of practical bicycling for utility and 
pleasure. 



102 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

Therefore, it was not long before mechanical inventors turned 
their attention to producing a machine which should possess all the 
good and none of the bad qualities of the bicycle. The invention of 
spider-wheels, and iron and steel frameworks, replacing the cum- 
brous and fragile wood and iron " boneshakers," gave inventors of 
tricycles a vastly better groundwork upon which to build up their 
ideas ; and after several unsuccessful efforts had been made to 
produce a three-wheeled velocipede worthy of notice, the machine 
which can be said to have been the forerunner of modern tricycles 
appeared in 1877. [It has, however, been recently claimed that 




Coventry Lever Tricycle. 

"a ball-bearing tricycle, with wooden wheels and iron tires, was 
constructed and ridden continuously in 1867. The inventor's 
native place is known, but his name remains in obscurity, though 
a direct photograph of the machine and rider prove it to be 
genuine."] This was called The Coventry Tricycle, [designed by 
Starley] and was made by Haynes & Jefferis, of the Ariel Works, 
Coventry. Its general outline was, and is to this day unique, the 
large driving wheel being placed on the left side of the rider, while 
two steering wheels, of equal diameter, were hung in forks placed at 
the extremities of a horizontal bar, which ran from front to back 
on the right side, the steering being effected by an arrangement of 



TRICYCLES. 



103 



levers, which caused these small wheels to turn with their forks 
simultaneously in opposite directions. The power was applied to 
the driving wheel by means of levers, and so successful was this 
machine that the original pattern is still made, with merely a few 
alterations in details, although modern developments have induced 
the present proprietors of the machine to bring out an alternative 
pattern [the Coventry Rotary], in which a rotary motion of the 
pedals is substituted for the reciprocating motion of the levers. 




Coventry Rotary Tricycle. 



Still, in all the patterns the original design of the general outline 
of the machine has been adhered to, and to this day [1885] it is the 
best single-driving, two-track machine known, and one of the 
fastest tricycles in the market. 

The Dublin was one of the earliest introductions, but was 
very little known, being made in Ireland, and not pushed in other 
countries. Its general plan was peculiar, two small wheels running 
abreast in front, and the large driving wheel, centrally, behind the 
rider. Levers for both hands and feet were provided, the steer- 




104 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

ing being effected by means of a small winch gearing on one of 
the manual levers. This pattern was also adopted by Messrs. 
Singer and Co., of Coventry, who introduced the Challenge 
tricycle, worked by foot levers only, and steered by handles which 
surmounted the forks of the two front wheels. 

Several attempts were also made to revive the old style of 
boy's tricycle, of the type resembling a bicycle, but having two 

back wheels. It was thought 
that the elimination of wood in 
favor of wire and rubber for 
the wheels would make this a 
useful pattern ; but in practice 
it was found that, although the 
two back wheels would, by their 
great width apart, give a cer- 
Challenge Tricycle. tain amount of stability to the 

machine, the tipping up of the 
outer wheel in turning corners was a fruitful source of danger, and 
the style has never been popular except for very small children's 
toy tricycles. 

A peculiar type of machine, produced about 1879, 
had three wheels of different sizes, the driver being 
large, and the other wheels smaller, in order to reduce 
weight, and was known as the "one, two, three" tri- 
cycle, and is seen in the Excelsior. In it "one large 
driving wheel at the left side faced, on the rider's right 
hand, a wheel about two- thirds of the diameter of the 
driving wheel, a small steering wheel being attached by 
the ordinary fork to the extremity of an arm running 
backward from the center of the main framework ; thus 
the steering was done behind the rider, and the front 
left open." This type of frame was known as the 
"hayfork." The machine was said to weigh only 
eighty pounds, but certainly was heavy running for 



TRICYCLES. 



105 



that weight, though in its day it was a noted and 
successful mount. 

A similar frame of the "hayfork" variety is found in 
the machines of the pattern sometimes called the 
"reversed bath chair." These were open-front, rear- 
steering machines, and were extremely popular about 
188 1. At first, nearly all were single driving; but 
later double driving was introduced, and is found in 




Excelsior Tricycle. 



the Cheylesmore, which is an excellent type of this 
class, as well as one of its most popular varieties. 
The Cheylesmore tricycle was "an open-fronted double 
driver, being driven by means of clutches incased in 
neat boxes on the crank shafts. These are connected 
to the axle by means of two chains. At each end of 
the pedal shafts the clutches are keyed on to the axle, 
and each clutch has four teeth, vide illustration, which 
jamb four small rollers against the chain wheels, and 



106 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

thus the power is transmitted to the driving wheels. 
The pedals act as foot-rests, resting in any position the 
rider desires while the machine continues to travel. 
A powerful double-lever spoon brake is supplied, 
called the patent spring lever, which, when gently 
applied, acts from the center of the double spoon; and 
the harder it is applied, the firmer it grips, until, when 
it is full on, there is a bite on the wheels of fully four 
inches, which is sufficient to stop the machine dead on 




Cheylesmore Tricycle. 

the steepest decline. The steering is improved rack 
and pinion, while patent adjustable ball bearings are 
fitted to all wheels. The frame of the Cheylesmore has 
been altered and the backbone lengthened and tubing 
used. The forks are bent more inward, the crank 
shaft bearings being fitted to the bottom of the forks 
and rendered self-adjustable. This end is obtained by 
means of allowing the neck of the chain wheels to pro- 
trude up the forks, and these are held in place by a 



TRICYCLES. 107 

screw, thus making the action more vertical; adjusta- 
ble handles, and a patent sliding saddle are supplied, so 
that a rider, while traveling, can shift his position, 
forward when going up hill, and backward when de- 
scending — this latter helping to keep the steering 
wheel steady, in fact, making it almost as safe as a 
front steerer. " 

The front steering tricycle of what was sometimes 
called the "bath chair" pattern soon' became a popu- 
lar style, the "name being given to the class of machine 




Loop-frame Tricycle. 

whose general outline resembles that of a bath chair, 
two equal-sized wheels running one on each side of 
the rider, with a steering handle, exactly similar to 
that of an invalid's bath chair, actuating the small 
guiding wheel in front. Several variations of this style 
of machine were introduced with indifferent success, 
notably the Centaur, Premier, and Coventry Express, 
but the machine which made the first sensation in this 
direction was the Salvo, invented by Starley Brothers, 
of St. John's Works, Coventry. Originally it was 



io8 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

introduced under the title of The Salvo Quadricycle, 
it having in fact four wheels; but it was essentially a 
tricycle, the fourth wheel being carried clear of the 
ground, and only serving as a preventive of the rider 
tipping over backward; literally, therefore, 'quadri- 




Two-track Tricycle. 

cycle' was the correct name for it; but as there were 
never more than three wheels on the ground at once, 
it was, and is, rightly classed as a tricycle; and since, 
among other recent improvements which the machine 
has undergone, the size of the rear safety wheel has 
been materially reduced, the long name has been 



TRICYCLES. 109 

abbreviated, and the machine is now known as the 
Salvo Tricycle. " 

This type of tricycle had large driving wheels — 
48 or 50 inches, a front steering wheel of about 18 
inches, a side steering handle; the chain was placed at 
one side ; they were double driving, and the frame 
was of the "loop" variety. Several machines of this 
type were built in this country, such as the Victor, 
Columbia, and Otto. At a little later date, the frame 




Humber Tricycle. 

of this type was somewhat modified, and instead of the 
large "loop," a single tube was brought down and 
forward from the center of the axle, under which the 
chain was carried, so that the machine was "central 
geared," and the frame was T shape. 

A modification of the usual pattern of front- steering 
machines placed the steering wheel in front of the right- 
hand driver, so that the machine had but two tracks 
instead of three; had a good open front, and could be 



no WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

built lighter This variety has also been popular, and 
was built in this country by Messrs. Gormully & Jeffery 
and the Pope Manufacturing Company. 

Another type of machine*which acquired great pop- 
ularity, and was very successful in its day, was the 
Humber. This has been described as "a bicycle with 
two front wheels, and driven by a chain, so that the 
center of gravity is kept low. Both the large wheels, 
which are placed in front, drive, and both steer, the 
latter being done by means of a cross handle as with 




Quadrant Tricycle. 

the bicycle. The main features of the machine are 
that the position when riding and the action of the 
muscles are almost identical with those of the bicycle, 
while, when thoroughly mastered, it is as obedient to 
the will of the rider as the bicycle itself, and is simple 
in construction and easy in running, the main points 
against the variety being the time necessary to master 
its peculiarities, and its erratic and dangerous behav- 
ior when descending hills, unless in very careful or 
experienced hands/' 

This variety of tricycle, though very popular for a 



TRICYCLES. 



Til 



time in England, was not extensively used in this 
country in its single form; but in its double form, as a 
tandem, it was considerably used, and is described in 
another chapter. 

In front-steering tricycles, as shown in the illustra- 
tions, the steering wheel was small and the wheel base 
very short. In the Quadrant, some change was made 
in both these particulars, the steering wheel being 
increased from 18 to 26 inches, and the wheel base 




Surprise Tricycle. 



somewhat lengthened. The chief peculiarity, how- 
ever, was in its steering, which gave the name to the 
machine. The central tube of the frame runs forward, 
carrying wide horizontal forks which "converge until 
they reach the center of the steering wheel. Here 
they end in oblong slides curved toward each other so 
as to form quadrants or quarter circles. The wheel 
axle is long, and runs in bearings which work in these 
slides. Below the center of the straight cross tube of 



H2 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

the frame a long bar pivots, the ends of which are 
connected by hinged rods to the extremities of the 
steering axle. A rack and pinion steering rod actuates 
one end of the pivoted bar, and thus, drawing one end 
forward and forcing the other back, causes the wheel 
to turn as desired.' ' 

A type of tricycle suggested by the success of the 
rear-driving Safety is shown in the Surprise, which has 
a fairly large rear driving wheel, and two small front 
steering wheels. The type generally known as the 



Cripper Tricycle. 

Cripper is one of the later' and most successful patterns 
of tricycles. It had 36- to 40-inch drivers, and 18- to 
20-inch steering wheel, and a sloping steering post 
carrying handles at its top, so that bicycle steering was 
secured. It had a drop frame, suitable for ladies' use, 
as shown in the illustration, or a high frame with a 
tube running straight across from the seat pillar to the 
steering post. A strong spring held the steering post 
firmly, so that the steering wheel ran in a straight line, 
except when deflected by the rider for steering pur- 



TRICYCLES. 



113 



poses, and always returned again to its position when 
pressure on the handles ceased. The chain was in the 
center, and the driving gear at one side. 

The last change in tricycles must be regarded more 
as a modification of the Cripper type than as a new 
introduction. It consisted in equalizing in size the 
three wheels, and discarding the spring which partially 
controlled the steering. As to wheels, the change even 
went so far as to make the drivers smaller than the 




DlRECT-STEERER TRICYCLE. 



steerer; the wheel base was also lengthened, so that the 
rider sat somewhat in front of the axle, which was now 
bridged, and had three or four bearings; and the 
frame was altered and simplified, in some cases follow- 
ing very closely that of the diamond frame Safety. 
So far as tricycles are now built, they are of the 
direct-steering pattern. 

Beside these distinct patterns of tricycles, every one 
of which, except perhaps the old Challenge, has had 



H4 



WHEELS AND WHEELING. 



a longer or shorter but a decidedly successful career, 
there are three patterns, adapted to special uses, which 
have become standard in their respective spheres. 
The Velociman was first built in 1869, and is still 




Velociman. 



manufactured. It is for the use of cripples. The 
driving wheels "are connected by means of a main 
axle, and these are again connected by means of a 
small chain to a double-cranked shaft to which the 
propellers or hand levers are attached, and to which 



TRICYCLES, 115 

also the foot lever is connected, all working together. 
The machine can thus be driven by a combination of 
hands and feet, or by the hands without the feet, or 
vice versa. The handles are worked backward and 
forward, and the steering is done by means of a pad at 
the back of the seat, " the machine being a rear steerer, 
and the steering rod being attached to the semicircular 




Coventry Chair. 

back-rest. In order to steer, the rider simply inclines 
his body in the direction he wishes to go. 

The second pattern is that of a chair in which an 
invalid sits, and is propelled by a rider who is seated 
behind him, tandem fashion. The chair is of easy 
shape, and fitted with springs which render it very 
comfortable. In this machine, and in the following 
one, some of the more intensely practical possibilities 
of cycling are shown. The introduction and main- 
tenance of such features are valuable aids in establish- 
ing the sport upon a permanent basis, and demon- 
strating its utility as well as its pleasure. 



Ii6 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

The third pattern of tricycle having a peculiar sphere 
of its own is the Carrier. It may be a tricycle of 
almost any type, with the frame so extended or shaped 
as to enable it to carry a basket for the transportation 
of merchandise of any sort, such as the mails, news- 
papers, parcels, or such light articles as are commonly 




Carrier Tricycle. 

delivered by wagon. For these purposes the carrier 
tricycle has considerable use in England. 

In addition to the standard types of tricycles shown 
in this chapter there have been produced, at one time 
or another, many machines containing slight variations 
of all sorts, but generally of minor importance, and 
others containing radical departures from accepted 
lines. Pretty much all that was good in design, how- 
ever, found its way into some of these standard types; 
but some of the more "original" productions are inter- 
esting, and find appropriate place in the chapter on 
Peculiar Cycles. 



SOCIABLES AND TANDEMS. 

THE pleasures incident to cycling, like those at- 
tendant upon almost all forms of recreation, are 
much enhanced by securing agreeable company, espe- 
cially if the riders are equally well mounted and 
accustomed to travel at about the same speed. In the 
early days of wheeling the average tricycle was heavy 
and cumbrous, and when one's companion was a lady, 
having a heavy mount, the rate of progression was 
necessarily slow. There was, therefore, much to be 
gained if there could be built a double machine which 
would be but little heavier than a single, and, at the 
same time, give the stronger rider a chance to do half 
(or more) of the work of propulsion. So, soon after 
the tricycle assumed definite character, attempts were 
made to add a second seat, and so secure a double 
machine. 

But even at much earlier dates, when there were in 
vogue all sorts of odd contrivances, built on unrae- 
chanical principles, three and four wheeled vehicles, 
intended to carry several riders, were designed. 
These machines carried different numbers, up to 
nearly a dozen persons, in some cases. "The Bea- 
consfield, for five," says H. H. Griffin, "had the front 
man riding the pilot-wheel, as on a bicycle; behind 
him, in a conveyance of ample proportions, supported 
by two large wheels, sat four men, who were working, 



n8 



WHEELS AND WHEELING. 



by hand power, a swinging bar. The result was akin 
to trying to eat a bantam's egg with a soup ladle. 
There was a vast waste of power; the bar did not 




require five per cent, of the force applied, and the 
pace was painfully slow. In a trial against time, five 
of us working, we occupied over seven minutes in rid- 




ing a mile on a cinder path. Had the machine been 
geared up highly, a good pace could have been got 
out of it." 



SOCIABLES AND TANDEMS. 1 19 

There were, it would appear, many other machines 
of unique character, fantastic design, and peculiar 
construction, of which we have little definite informa- 
tion either in the way of illustration or description; 
but, as new facts concerning these curiosities are con- 
tinually coming to light, it is probable that additional 
information will ultimately be obtained. Illustrations 
of two of these curiosities are here given. 

Coming down now to the modern tricycle, we find 
that nearly every one of the principal types was 




Loop Frame Sociable. 

brought out in a double form, while some were built 
so as to carry three or four riders. The loop frame 
sociable here shown has 44-inch driving wheels and a 
22-inch steering wheel. The riders sat side by side; 
both pedaled, and the left-hand rider steered. Such 
machines were usually geared low, and weighed about 
150 pounds. It will be seen that this particular ma- 
chine has the unusual feature of two chains, by the 
use of which two distinct gears could be used, a high 
one for level roads, and a lower one for hills — a great 



120 



WHEELS AND WHEELING. 



advantage on so heavy a machine. The change of 
gear was effected "by working a small lever, acting in 
connection with the box on the axle. This box is in 
three parts. The two outer portions have each teeth 
notched internally, while the middle one is plain. By 
moving the small lever downward it forces a pawl into 
action, which catches the teeth on the disk nearest the 
driving wheel, and then the machine is driving the full 
height of the driving wheel. By moving the lever 
upward, the same pawl operates on the toothed wheel 




T-frame Sociable. 



nearest the rider, and the machine is then driving 
equal to a 38-inch wheel. The lever can then be 
moved to the center, which position leaves the pawl 
in the center of the middle portion of the box, so that 
the wheels run free, neither side driving, and the ped- 
als act as foot-rests. The whole arrangement is ex- 
tremely simple, and it is impossible for any of the 
parts to become disarranged." 

A central geared sociable with a T-shaped frame 



SOCIABLES AND TANDEMS. 



121 



was another principal type. It had 46-inch driving 
wheels; a 22-inch steering wheel; a horizontal T 
frame, and a central gear for each rider. This made 
a lighter, and a rather neater-looking machine than 
the loop-frame pattern. 

The Coventry Rotary, already shown in its single 
form, also figures as a sociable, a four-in-hand, and a 
tandem. As a sociable, the cross tube of the frame 
is merely doubled in length, so as' to carry another 
driving wheel at its other end, with an additional 




Coventry Convertible Four-in-Hand. 



saddle, chain, and pedals. Instead of illustrating 
that, the Four-in-Hand pattern is shown, as it is really 
the sociable, w r ith an additional tube behind each sad- 
dle, so that two more saddles can be added, together 
with the chains and pedals necessary for the third and 
fourth riders. The Four-in-Hand also presents almost 
exactly the appearance of two Coventry Rotary Tan- 
dems placed side by side. 

About 1885, the sociable, with its heavy weight, 
clumsy action, and slow speed, gave way to the much 



122 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

lighter, more convenient, and faster tandem, and in a 
few years became a creature of memory only. In 
1889, however, old riders were brought face to face 
with recollections of earlier days by the production, 
by two or three houses, of sociables built on new and 
much improved lines. The great feature of these new 
patterns was that each rider sat over a small driving 




Nottingham Sociable. 

wheel, instead of both sitting betiveen two large wheels. 
The new machine had thus a track of but 30 inches, 
instead of 51 inches as formerly, and was also much 
lighter, more manageable, and faster, small geared-up 
wheels taking the place of the large geared-down 
drivers which were used on the early patterns. "The 
rear part of the machine is, practically, two Safeties 
with 30-inch wheels, joined by a long axle and bridge, 



SOCIABLES AND TANDEMS. 1 23 

which is joined to the axle by two bearings, near the 
wheels. Nearly the whole of the weight resting on 
this part, the bridge is very strong, having in the cen- 
ter a third tubular seat-pillar — only used when the 
machine has to be ridden by one rider as a single tri- 
cycle. Both wheels have upper and lower forks, 
joined by an arched tube, which also answers as a 
mudguard. Following the curve of the wheel, the 
saddle-stems are slightly cranked, so as to permit of 
adjustment and centralize the weight; but the saddle 




Convertible Safety Tandem. 

is over the wheel, in order not to interfere with the 
pedal action. Over the left wheel is placed a large 
wire guard, in order to render it suitable for a lady." 
The sociable, excepting perhaps the type last de- 
scribed, had been a slow, heavy, clumsy affair, and 
one that riders could not but weary of; so the intro- 
duction of the tandem was a great boon, though there 
were some people who objected to it on the strange 
ground that the riders sat too near to one another. 
This was scarcely true, however, of those early 
attempts at tandem-making which consisted in joining 



124 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

together two single tricycles by means of a coupling 
or connecting bar. But this system was merely a 
makeshift, designed chiefly for those who already 
owned two tricycles. 

In this tandem, the front part shows a Humber 
tricycle, and the rear part a central geared, front 



Club Convertible Tandem. 

steerer. In the Club tandem, also convertible, there 
is a compact frame, the front portion being on the 
lines of the usual central geared front steerer, and the 
rear portion being a part of a Humber frame attached 
to it. This machine was made so as to remove the 



'" SOCIABLES AND TANDEMS. 125 

rear part and leave an ordinary front steerer, or so as 
to remove the front part and leave a Humber pattern 
tricycle. The other tandem had five running wheels; 
this had four. 

Another convertible tandem of the kind using super- 
fluous wheels, like the two already described, was the 
Royal Mail. It was essentially a simple two-track 
tricycle, with a horizontal tube running to the rear on 




Royal Mail Convertible Tandem. 

the left side, similar to that running to the front on the 
right. The small steering wheels were connected, so 
that the front rider controlled the steering. One chain 
connected the two-crank shaft and axle; the second 
seat arm and resting handles projected from the rail. 
It was two- track in both double as well as single form. 
Still another four-wheeled tandem was an early 
pattern of the Quadrant. The later Quadrant tandem 
tricycle was a front steerer, built on the lines of their 



126 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

single tricycle, already illustrated ; but the No. 9 was 
something of quite a different sort; having a unique 
combination of lever and rotary action. It was a 
' 'front steerer provided with two lugs on the seat rail, 
and to these lugs is attached by knuckle-joints (hinged 
horizontally) a small cross bar, having in its center a 
long curved tube, to which a trailing wheel is attached; 
bicycle handle bar for rear rider, and the rear pedals 
are connected by long levers to the front pedals, 
attaching themselves by a small knuckle-joint and 




Quadrant No. 9 Tandem. 

thumbscrew to a roller bearing on pedal pins — thus 
no second chains are required." 

These four-wheeled tandems differed from one an- 
other about as much as they did from their three- 
wheeled relatives; but they constituted, to some ex- 
tent, a class of their own, but one which never was 
remarkable for its success or popularity. 

As the Coventry Rotary has been shown twice 
already (in its single and four-in-hand patterns) it is 
not necessary to illustrate it as a tandem. In this 
form there is, in fact, less change of appearance than 
takes place in any other machine when a tandem is 
made of it, for its frame lends itself easily to the 



TRICYCLES. 127 

doubling process. Two short tubes, running to the 
rear, carry the second saddle post and chain, and add 
little to the weight, while they also detract little from 
the appearance. 

Among the first tandem tricycles a number had ap- 
peared built on the lines of the ordinary front-steering 
tricycle of the day, the frame being extended suffi- 
ciently to make room for the necessary additional 
parts. They were rather clumsy at 'first, but became 
more handy and convenient as the type on which they 




Cripper Type Tandem. 

were based was improved. Those which were in 
effect an elongated Cripper tricycle were among the 
best. 

The Humber pattern tricycle also lends itself very 
readily to the tandem form, as the additional tubing, 
chain, pedals, and saddle can be readily arranged for 
in front of the axle. In fact, as a tandem the machine 
runs much more steadily and pleasantly than as a 
single. It is the most easily propelled of tandems, 
and has a very delightful bowling motion closely akin 
to that of the ordinary bicycle. Its only drawback is 



128 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

that there is required a great deal of practice and ex- 
perience with it in order to master it, and that it is so 
delicately balanced on the axle that the brake cannot 
be applied suddenly, and great care has to be exer- 
cised in descending steep hills. 

About the last type of tandem tricycle was one built 
on lines somewhat resembling those of the Surprise 




Humber Tandem. 

single tricycle. It had a single driving wheel in the 
rear; two smaller front steering wheels, controlled by 
the rear rider, and the weight of the riders was carried 
far enough back to make it a steadier and safer ma- 
chine than the Humber type. It proved itself easy 
running, and very fast. 

But the final invention in tandems having more than 
two wheels was the Triplet Quadricycle, which, as its 



TRICYCLES. 



129 



name indicates, was a four-wheeled machine to carry 
three riders. ''This machine," said H. H. Griffin in 
1889, "is, without doubt, the fastest and safest tandem 
ever built, and in the latter part of 1888 several sensa- 
tionally fast performances were accomplished on the 
road on it. In the standard the wheels are 30-inch 
rear and 28-inch front, the distance between the wheel 
tracks being 31^ inches; total width, 37 J inches; be- 




Olympia Tandem. 



tween wheel centers, 32 inches; the front saddle is 23 
inches before the central, the back being 20 inches in 
rear thereof; between the pillars, 20J inches. This 
placing balances the machine admirably. The fore- 
most rider, who may be a lady, has regular Whatton 
handles. The pilot wheel axle pillars are held by a 
very strong tube, which curves forward and down- 
ward. In the center, a strong tube from the lower 
part of the steering pillar slants forward, and carries, 



13° WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

at the extremity, the bracket of the chain pulley. 
From the upper part a stout tube runs rearward, and 
from the bottom of the bracket two stays run to the 
central tube, which curves over the central chain 
pulley. 

"The secret of success of the machine lies in the way 
it adjusts itself to the inequalities of the road, and its 
self -balancing. If it were not so, the machine would 
not only be easily upset, but it would be 'pulled to 
pieces' on an uneven road. As it is, however, it is 




Rudge Triplet Quadricycle. 

simply the safest cycle extant, and the front half may 
be almost turned on its side without in the slightest 
affecting the equilibrium of the rear portion. This is 
managed by hinging the middle of the arched tube 
carrying the front wheels to the center of the frame. 
The frame is well stayed in all directions by strong 
tubes between the pillars and stay rods below the 
frame, so that the whole is very rigid. The rear seat 
is supported by a tube curving backward, with a clear 
space between it and the steering pillar, so that it can 
be used by a lady. 



TRICYCLES. 131 

"Steering is entirely under the control of the cen- 
tral rider, and the machine is very obedient, and can 
be guided with great exactness and ease. There is a 
powerful band brake — applied by No. 2 rider — or an 
auxiliary can be added for application by the occu- 
pier of the rear saddle. The main axle has a four- 
bearing bridge, extra strong, to stand the weight and 
strain of three riders. All three drive the one gear; 
from No. 1 there is a chain running round a smaller 
chain pulley — attached to the larger — on the central 
crank-axle bracket; a second chain communicates the 
combined power from these to the gear box, on which 
there is a second pulley, driven by No. 3 rider." 

Before leaving the subject of tandem tricycles, the 
Victoria should be mentioned. It was formed by a 
system of joining together any number of Humber 
tandems which, when connected, formed one long 
serpentine machine, the steering of the whole being 
controlled by the front rider. With the passing away 
of the single tricycle before the resistless advance of 
the Safety, there seemed little hope for the continued 
existence of the tandem tricycle; but it held its own 
for a brief space longer, catering as it did to the needs 
of a special class, and then slowly disappeared. But 
there always existed interest in double machines, and 
some demand for them, especially while single ma- 
chines were as heavy as the old tricycles. With 
tricycles, as has already been shown, it had been easy 
enough to produce a double mount, by simply widen- 
ing the machine to place two seats, side by side, as on 
the sociable; or, by lengthening the frame, to place one 
seat before the other, as on the tandem. But the 



132 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

ordinary bicycle had presented a far more difficult 
problem. It was necessary to place one rider before 
the other, and that necessitated a long frame, and made 
both the balance and steering more difficult than on 
the single machine. 

The form of tandem bicycle developed from the 
ordinary was a somewhat curious mount, and a not 
very practicable road machine. As shown in the illus- 
tration, the backbones and rear wheels of two ordi- 







Rucker Tandem Bicycle. 

naries were removed, and their driving wheels were 
then connected by a bar. Both riders drove; but 
they steered independently, and the rear rider, in 
addition to preserving his own balance, was obliged to 
track with the leader. This was not always an easy 
task, and side falls could easily occur. In fact, there 
were so few advantages in this form of tandem, that it 
never became very popular, and has long since disap- 
peared. 



TRICYCLES. 



133 



The success of the Kangaroo type, and its rapid rise 
into popular favor, caused attention to be turned to 
the possible development of a tandem from it, and 
experiments were made with this in view. They were 
not successful, however, and soon ceased, as the Rover 




Wilson's Safety Tandem. 



type quickly began to crowd the Kangaroo from the 
field. 

With the assured success of the Rover, the tandem 
idea once more appeared. At first the simplest and 
most direct method of carrying it out seemed to be 
Wilson's plan of placing the second seat immediately 
in front of the handle bar, carrying curved handles 



134 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

around for the front rider and lengthening the front 
forks to carry chain wheels and chain in Kangaroo 
style. But this plan did not prove successful in oper- 
ation, for, as Mr. Wilson himself says, "owing to the 
great rake of the front fork, the front rider's weight 
tends to turn the steering wheel violently out of a 
straight line and the rear rider is therefore compelled 
to use tremendous arm force in steering." Another 
tandem on rather exceptional lines was the Dart. It 
had a 32-inch driver and 24-inch steerer. The rear 




Dart Tandem Bicycle. 

rider sat over the driving wheel, a little back of its 
center, while the front rider sat just before it and on a 
few inches lower level. The rear rider had a short 
chain running back of the driving-wheel axles, some- 
thing after the manner of the chains on the Kangaroo, 
while a longer chain for the front rider followed the 
lower part of the frame to the crank axle, which was 
situated midway between the wheels. A long, sloping 
steering post was connected by rods with the front 
forks. 

Another pattern, in which two wheels of equal size 



TRICYCLES. 



*35 



are used, was described as follows in the Bicycling 
World, January 9, 1891 : 

"From the accompanying engraving one can get a 
good idea of the great compactness attained, and the 
small number of pieces employed, both of which have 
a tendency to reduce weight. To give an idea of its 
simplicity I have compared it with single wheels of 
several well-known makes, and I find it several inches 




Muller Tandem Bicycle. 



shorter, and lighter than these singles. The tandem 
roadster of the Muller pattern has been given a thor- 
ough trial by many different riders in and about New 
York, and in spite of its 64-inch gear with only 5 1 -inch 
cranks, it climbed in good time all the hills ridden by 
the ordinaries and safeties, and went ahead of every- 
thing encountered on the road. 

"The frame (on which Mr. Muller holds his patent) 



136 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

can be applied to any size wheel, and made its appear- 
ance about three seasons ago, when, fitted with two 
56 Expert wheels, Mr. V. H. Muller and his brother 
rode it, defeating all tandem teams of prominence. 
Last spring they gave the frame a thorough trial on a 
pair of 50-inch Springfield Roadster driving wheels, 
and on it made a tour of Europe, where its novel lines 
attracted much attention among the cycle manufactur- 
ers. The Humber Co. made a heavy bid for the 
patent right in England, but the offer was refused. 

"This season, the last and by far the most success- 
ful experiment was made in connection with a couple 
of regular Broncho driving wheels, and the machine as 
shown above is readily acknowledged to be the fast- 
est, neatest, and most perfect tandem cycle ever pro- 
duced. This opinion, as expressed by all who have 
seen or ridden the machine, is amply backed by the 
offer of a prominent manufacturer to pay seven thou- 
sand five hundred dollars cash for the patent, while 
another firm has gone even higher than this. 

"The specifications are: Two 32-inch driving wheels 
geared to 64, with Broncho hubs; cranks 5 to 6 inch 
throw; tangent spokes; f-inch solid tires; ball head; 
weldless, cold-drawn steel tubings, fitted throughout; 
cow-horn bars and spade handles. There are no 
chains, 'middle axles,' ratchet wheels, chain guards, 
mud guards, guard-supporting rods or handle-bar 
connecting rods. Nickel everywhere except spokes 
and rims. 

"The machine has been ridden up and down curb- 
stones and submitted to every practical test that could 
be suggested. Its appearance on the track will be 



TRICYCLES. 



i37 



made early next spring, and it is expected to prove as 
much faster than the chain tandem as the pneumatic is 
than the solid tire. Several photographs have been 
taken with Messrs, Muller sitting still on the machine 
without supports. Nearly all of the tricks that can be 
accomplished on the ordinary are as easily done on 
this, which is certainly a new departure in the tandem 
line." 

The development of the Rover type of Safety, how- 
ever, soon showed the manufacturer a way in which 




Tandem Safety Bicycle. 



to design a tandem without departing materially from 
the usual Safety lines. This was done by simply 
lengthening the frame, so as to place both riders be- 
tween the wheels of the machine. The rear portion of 
the frame was usually braced by a cross tube, or made 
diamond shape, while the front part was generally 
open in the style of the drop frame Safety in order to 
adapt it to ladies' use. These machines have had a 
fair demand, being very easy running and fast. A 
drawback to them has been that the steering generally 
proved very tiresome, particularly where roads were 



*38 



WHEELS AND WHEELING. 



not good; and two single Safeties seem generally to be 
preferred to one tandem. 

The last, and perhaps the most striking production 
in Safety tandems is the triplet safety — a machine 
claimed to be faster than the triplet quadricycle of the 
same house. On account of the length of the frame it 
is made on a sort of divided diamond pattern and can 
be ridden only by the racing sex. It is claimed that "it 




Rudge Triplet Tandem Safety. 



possesses great improvement in the steering apparatus. 
Instead of the usual bar being attached to each right- 
hand handle it is attached to the right-hand side of the 
fork of the steering pillar and conveyed under the 
backbone of the machine. It permits each rider to 
steer. The danger apprehended from a fall off a tan- 
dem or triplet through being caged in is thus done 
away with." 



PECULIAR CYCLES. 

IN treating of the development of the bicycle every 
change of type was described and depicted, and in 
describing tricycles and double machines the same 
course was pursued, so that each chapter shows, in 
connected form, the manner in which the latest types 
have been evolved. But there have been produced 
many machines differing from the standard types in 
some special features, or which were so original as to 
form special varieties by themselves. To have intro- 
duced all these into the preceding chapters would have 
overloaded them with matter not required to illustrate 
the development of the three great classes. They are, 
nevertheless, an interesting and important part of cy- 
cling history, and deserve careful attention, as they ex- 
hibit many features that have been regarded as impor- 
tant at different times, some of which, perchance, may 
appear at some future time as "original" inventions. 

Some of the peculiar features of these machines are 
of marked value, while others possess only a fantastic 
importance. It is not difficult to distinguish between 
them. Some of the machines were successful and 
popular in their day, and some are still in practical 
use. Others, of more recent introduction, are in the 
market and have ready sale. Still others never were 
extensively manufactured, and have long since disap- 
peared. They are arranged alphabetically. 

139 



14^ 



WHEELS AND WHEELING. 



The Acme Safety "consists of a 32-inch front 
driving wheel, a rigid fore-frame, a 30-inch rear steer- 
ing wheel, and the rear fork hinged to the perch as 
shown in cut. The driving wheel being held firmly 
in line with the framing, it is claimed that the push of 
the rider does not throw it out of its course. The 
rear wheel is used as the steerer with the rear fork 
hinged to the perch far enough forward of the center 
of the rear wheel as to voluntarily follow in line with 
the front one when the machine is in motion. The 




Acme Safety Bicycle. 



steering is effected by connecting the steering bar and 
rear fork by means of rods and links, the rods passing 
through the hollow perch. The links consist of two 
toothed wheels, one fixed firmly on the top end of rear 
fork and the other hinged on the rear end of the 
perch, both inclosed in a neat sheet metal case. 

"In addition to the usual lever and spoon brake 
there can be placed on the crank shaft a drum and 
band brake operated by the foot. The saddle is 
placed on an elastic seat-spring which is suspended 
between two oscillating springs, absorbing vibration. 



PECULIAR CYCLES. 



141 



Ample means are provided for adjustment to suit riders 
of different leg measure. It is claimed that a bicycle 
constructed as above will run steady, and that a rider 
need not be an expert to ride with hands off the 
handle bar." 

The Atlantic Special "is really a tricycle, as it has 
three wheels; but this is the only point of resemblance 
to the three-wheeler, as its action and management are 
almost identical with that of the bicycle proper, and 




Atlantic Special. 



indeed the makers consider it to be a Safety bicycle 
rather than a tricycle. 

"Its outline and peculiar features can best be seen 
by reference to the above illustration. The front 
forks are raked slightly forward, and curve back 
around the bearings, below which they run forward 
horizontally till they clear the large wheel, when they 
end in a neck and centers, on which a small Stanley 
head and forks work. A second 'backbone' runs 
down in front over the large wheel, and is affixed 
to the steering connection by a stout spring which 



142 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

enables the front wheel to take the inequalities of the 
road. A rod depends perpendicularly from the steer- 
ing handles to the horizontal forks, where it ends with 
a pinion wheel working a rack on a rod, and by that 
means turns the small front wheel as desired, the 
handles being kept fairly rigid by means of a stout 
spring." 

The advantages claimed for this machine were im- 
munity from headers; position directly over pedals; 
ability to stand still on it; and great brake power. 




Berkshire Tricycle. 

Its steering was said to be somewhat peculiar, but 
easily acquired. 

The Berkshire tricycle differs from all others in sev- 
eral features. "Both wheels are rigidly driven, both 
backward and forward, and in turning corners one is 
freed by moving a handle in connection with a sliding 
clutch. It has two speeds. The chain and driving 
gear are in the center, and the necessary two speeds 
are obtained by using two chains and two sizes of 
chain wheels on both crank and axle, throwing one or 
the other out of gear with a lever handle as desired.'* 



PECULIAR CYCLES. 



143 



An American safety bicycle of peculiar character 
was the Broncho. It was a chainless machine, the 
cranks being attached directly to the rear axle, in 
which was concealed the driving gear, which was the 
most curious feature of the machine, 

"The axle is in the form of a cross. There are four 
miter gears (good ones, as anyone can determine by 
putting one under a drop hammer). One of these 
gears is forced on and keyed to the left-hand ball case, 




Broncho Safety Bicycle. 



and of course is immovable. Another is forced on 
and keyed to the right-hand hub end and turns with 
the wheel, of which it is a part. On the arms of the 
cross of the axle are the other two gears, which are 
on ball bearings. When the axle is made to revolve 
these gears are carried around with it, and being in 
mesh with both the immovable gear and the one keyed 
to the hub, transmit one revolution to the hub by their 
motion with the axle, and also one revolution from 



144 



WHEELS AND WHEELING. 



the fixed gear in which they run, thus giving two com- 
plete revolutions to the wheel to one revolution of the 
crank and about five rods of air line to your oppo- 
nent's four." 

To preserve the balance of the machine, it was nec- 
essary to place the saddle a little forward of the axle, 




Celer-et-Audax. 



the result being that the rider was actually obliged to 
pedal somewhat in a backward direction. 

The Celer-et-Audax was a direct-driven tricycle. 
It had 54-inch front wheels and an 18-inch rear wheel. 

"The frame is simple yet peculiar. The large 
wheels face each other, and are connected by a double 
cranked axle and pedals. A tube forms an arch rest- 



PECULIAR CYCLES. 



145 



ing on the bearings at the axle ends. At the top of 
this the head is fixed pointing forward, while at right 
angles to it a backbone departs rearward, first rising 
high into an arch, and then dropping away to the rear 
wheel and fork as in a bicycle. The saddle is on the 
top of the arch. The rider sits on the backbone, and 
drives direct upon the axle. To steer he leans to 
whichever side he wishes to turn; this throws the 




Center Cycle. 



backbone over, and pushes the outer wheel round. 
The rider steers by the inclination of his body only. 
It is also simple in construction, but requires more 
learning than the majority of other tricycles. When 
thoroughly mastered it runs well, and is a good hill 
climber. ' ' 

A very odd machine which was called the Center 
Cycle or Ideal, was commonly known as the ' "Octo- 
pus" or "Hen and Chickens." The term Center 



146 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

Cycle obviously came from the central position of its 
large driving wheel. 

"This machine is a curiosity, and something out of 
the common. The Center Cycle has four small steer- 
ing wheels and a large central driving wheel, driving 
direct as on a bicycle, and the steering is actuated by 
a handle bar. The frame consists of three forks run- 
ning right and left, and upward from the hub of the 
driving wheel; and these are connected on the one 
side to a curved backbone, and on the other to a short 
tube, to which a steering handle is affixed. A bow 
spring for saddle connects backbone and steering arm, 
and on this the rider sits. The lower part of the. 
frame is jointed, so that a gymnast or equilibrist could 
jerk up the small wheels and travel on the central one, 
the small wheels tracking in a similar manner as the 
users of roller skates do, when adopting a leaning 
position.' ' 

Several types of bicycles were at one time built by 
the Claviger Cycle Co., some form of the Claviger 
driving gear being used on each. They possessed 
many original features. The driving gear was a com- 
bination of levers and gear wheels, the general princi- 
ple being that of a lever with a movable fulcrum. 

In the Hanger Claviger driving gear "the arrange- 
ment consists of a bracket brazed at one end into the 
lower end of the fork side, and carrying at the other 
end a stud, which is the fixed axis of the Hanger 
Claviger. The latter consists of a rod called the 
clavis rod, and a rod or link called the restraining 
arm. The two rods are attached to each other by a 
pivot. The joints are coned, and though the oscilla- 



PECULIAR CYCLES. 



147 



tion on these joints is very slight the cones allow of 
adjustment for wear and prevent rattle. The clavis 
rod is slotted at the end in order to allow the pedal to 
be adjusted to vary the length of stroke; the other end 
terminates in a boss, in which is cut a rectangular slot. 
There is also a small spur pinion, provided with a boss 
or projection on one side, which fits into the slot in 
the end of the clavis rod. . A spur wheel is also rigidly 
fixed to the axle of the driving wheel by coned screws, 
so that it may be easily taken off fo»r cleaning the parts 




Claviger Model B Bicycle. 

behind. The bracket is recessed and drilled, and 
forms a knuckle-joint for the bearing case. Between 
the spur wheel and the bearing case is a slotted radius 
arm, which is mounted loosely on a hardened steel 
bush or sleeve attached to the spur wheel, and to the 
axle of the driving wheel. A spindle having a fixed 
collar is clamped in position in the slot of the radius 
arm. The spur pinion is mounted upon the spindle, 
and is free to revolve upon it. The boss or projection 
of the spur pinion is passed through the slot in the 



148 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

end of the clavis rod, and secured in position by a 
washer and nut. The spur pinion is thus tied to the 
axle, and is held in gear with the Spur wheel, while 
it is prevented from turning upon its own axis. 
When the pedals are operated the spur pinion makes 
half a revolution round the spur wheel for each stroke, 
and supposing the same tooth in the pinion remained 
engaged between the same two teeth in the wheel dur- 
ing the movement the driving wheel would be moved 
through half a revolution. But the pinion is looked to 
the clavis rod, and at the end of the stroke half the 
teeth in the pinion h;ive been engaged with the teeth 
in the wheel, and the latter has been advanced to that 
extent more than half a revolution. Hence, if the 
spur wheel and pinion have each the same number of 
teeth; the driving wheel will make one revolution 
instead of half at each stroke of the pedal. 

"It will be seen from the foregoing description that 
by loosening the nuts by which they are secured, the 
spur pinion or planet wheel can be readily taken out, 
and another with more or fewer teeth substituted, a 
supply of planet wheels of different diameters being- 
con veni en tly carried in the tool bag. If the move- 
ment were to be directly connected with a crank so as 
to make even gearing, the return stroke would be 
inconveniently more rapid than the down stroke, as 
the bitter would then turn the crank more than half a 
revolution. The effect of the sun and planet gear in 
connection with it is exactly the reverse, the result 
being that the up and down movement of the pedals is 
equalized. The larger the planet wheel, the more 
nearly equal they are brought. The nearer the fixed 



PECULIAR CYCLES. 149 

axis is brought to the axis of the driving wheel, the 
greater the ratio between the velocity of the down and 
up strokes. In this way a nice adjustment of the 
movement may be obtained to suit any size of driving 
wheel, and an average of four or five different-sized 
planet wheels; and by arranging for the return to be 
slightly quicker than the down stroke the two dead, 
points may be thrown into the return stroke. The 
variation of force in this movement is less than with a 
rotary pedal. At the commencement of the stroke 
the power is transmitted for an indefinitely short dis- 
tance by leverage alone, the clavis rod acting as lever, 
and turning slightly upon the fulcrum. As the stroke 
proceeds the leverage gradually diminishes, while the 
force transmitted by direct thrust gradually increases 
until at mid -stroke these two operations of the force 
are exactly equal. The process is reversed for the 
remaining half, and at the end for an indefinitely short 
distance the power is transmitted by direct thrust 
alone. For the thrust part of the stroke the pivot acts 
as guide, and is moved along the proper position for 
this function by the rod turning upon the fixed axis." 

Another model of the Claviger, having a different 
driving gear, is built with a large front driving wheel. 
In it, "the pedal orbit is elliptical, without dead points, 
and within the wheel base. The main part of the 
stroke is in a straight line, almost vertically under the 
rider, but allowing for all the ankle action that can be 
put on at ordinary speed. The velocity of the pedal 
is so much less than that of the ordinary rotary as to 
give the impression that the machine is geared up." 

In the Roller Claviger driving gear "there is a fixed 



150 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

bracket springing outward, forward, and downward 
from the lower end of the fork side (into which it is 
firmly pinned and brazed). The lower end of the part 
which forms a continuation of the fork side terminates 
in a knuckle-joint, and carries the bearings for the 
driving-wheel axle. Slightly forward of this the 
bracket has a projection or fork at each side, each 
terminating in a knuckle-joint, and carrying bearings 
which support the ends of a short spindle, to which the 




Claviger Model F Bicycle. 

crank is rigidly attached. The backward face of the 
bracket, for about half the length at the lower part, is 
broader, and is finished with a flat surface. This 
forms a guide for the roller which bears against it. 
The crank spindle and the axle of the driving wheel 
have each a spur wheel rigidly fixed to them, and the 
centers are arranged so that these two spur wheels 
gear together. The clavis rod is bent, and carries a 
roller on a stud near the center. The movement rep- 
resented is the normal form of this kind of Claviger — 



PECULIAR CYCLES. IS 1 

that is, a line drawn from the center of the pedal to 
the center of the roller is equal to a line drawn from 
the center of the roller to the center of the crank pin, 
and. both lines, being in the same plane, make a right 
angle at the center of the roller; also the center of the 
roller moves in a straight line, which, if produced, 
would pass through the projection of the center of the 
crank spindle. The length of the^stroke is exactly 
equal to two sides of a square inscribed within the 
crank pin circle, so that with a crank of 5 inches in 
length the stroke is a little over 14 inches. 

"During a complete revolution of the crank the 
roller moves up and down the guide a distance each 
way equal to the diameter of the crank pin circle. 
The directions of the motion of the roller and of the 
pedal do not coincide as to time, the roller being a 
quarter of a stroke behind the pedal. The stress of 
the pressure is against the bracket, in a direction per- 
pendicular to its bearing face throughout the move- 
ment, both up and down. Unlike the Hanger Clavi- 
ger, previously described, the two operations of the 
force (by leverage and by direct thrust) are not com- 
bined throughout the stroke. During the center of the 
stroke these two methods, by which the force is trans- 
mitted, are blended in the exact proportions required. 
The crank pin is adjustable, so as to allow of a stroke 
from 9 to 13 inches. It has very deep double ball 
bearings (3 inches from center to center) in a boss at 
the end of the clavis rod. The pedal is also adjust- 
able vertically. The roller has double ball bearings. 
It is covered by a |-inch round rubber tire. The 
roller is prevented from jolting about by a wire fas- 



* 5 2 



WHEELS AND WHEELING. 



tened into the bracket and passed over a groove in the 
roller, and just clear of touching it." 

The Devon bicycle much resembled an ordinary 
with peculiar driving gear, but it was called a Safety, 
probably because the power was applied at a point to 
the rear of the driving wheel axle— a feature which has 
been incorporated in other machines, and generally 
with the result of calling them Safety bicycles. 

"To the sides of each fork a straight rod is attached, 
working at its top end upon a joint. In length, each 




Devon Bicycle. 



rod about reaches the bearings, and at its lower ex- 
tremity a second rod is jointed. This second rod has 
attached to it, at about one- third of its length from 
the first, a socket and pin, the latter of which is pro- 
vided with a nut, wherewith it is fastened to the crank 
end in the same way as an ordinary pedal; passing this 
point, the rod curves, dropping so as to form a U, the 
rearmost end of which carries a pedal. The side rods 
swing to and fro, and upon pressure being applied to 



PECULIAR CYCLES. I S3 

the pedals they act somewhat on the lines of a piston 
and crank, and so work the machine. The advantage 
of this method of driving is that the rider can sit very 
much farther from the head and so obtain safety in 
riding, and at the same time have his pedals well be- 
neath him with a nearly vertical tread. In point of 
manufacture it is a very well constructed machine, and 
is certainly considerably safer than the ordinary. The 
manufacturers also apply to this machine, if desired, a 
very neat and ingenious contrivance, by which the 
steering is effected by both wheels simultaneously, by 
which means the rider can take much sharper turns, 
and need only lean inward in turning one-half as much 
as with the ordinary machine." 

The patent Disc wheel is an arrangement which has 
heretofore been discussed, but which the year 1892 
promises to see for the first time in practical use. 
4 'The patent consists of making a wheel out of two 
sheets of thin steel, stamped out and brazed together 
with a hub in the center, the rim and sides being in 
one. In this manner a light and exceedingly strong 
wheel is made. The following are the acknowledged 
advantages of this wheel : 

"1. The wheel being made of thin sheet metal, is 
very light, in fact, lighter than the majority of wheels 
at present in use; and anything to reduce weight in 
cycle construction is an immense advantage. 

"2. Being without spokes, there is none of the 
trouble and cost arising from broken spokes. Any 
rider has had ample experience of the trouble and 
annoyance, not to mention expense, caused in this 
wav. 



154 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

"3., They are much faster than a spoke wheel, 
and for the following reason : A wheel with spokes 
meets with great resistance when traveling fast, since 
each spoke has to be driven against the wind; and 
although, perhaps, one spoke has no great resisting 
surface, yet, when one considers the great number of 
spokes in the two wheels of a bicycle, it will at once 
be self-evident that this resistance must be much 
greater than a casual observer could imagine. In 
Hide's patent Disc wheel this resistance is absolutely 
done away with, hence the increase of speed, and any 
device, however ugly, which can increase the speed of 
a cycle, even only a few seconds in a mile, is bound 
to be a tremendous success. One need simply refer 
to the pneumatic tires to bear out this assertion. 

"4. The cost of manufacture will be considerably 
less than that of the present wheels. This speaks for 
itself, and no comment is necessary as to the advan- 
tage on this point. That this statement is correct is 
self-evident to anyone with only the slightest mechan- 
ical knowledge, after reading the process of manufac- 
ture described above. 

"5. The wheels can be easily cleaned, and in a 
short space of time. At first sight this seems a doubt- 
ful advantage, but any rider who is not fortunate 
enough to possess the means to employ someone to 
clean his machine (and how many are?) will hail with 
joy a wheel in which no spokes have to be cleaned. 
To go over each spoke, and carefully wipe off the 
mud, and to fiddle about inside a wheel, cleaning the 
hub — is a task which very few, and then only the 
veriest novices, relish. 



PECULIAR CYCLES. 



iS5 



"6. There is no possibility of accidents through a 
stick or a stone catching in the spokes. Anyone at 
all conversant with cycling will be able to recollect 
how . many accidents, and, unfortunately, in many 
cases, with a fatal termination, have occurred through 
'something catching in the spokes,' and resulting in 
the accidents alluded to. Sticks on a country road, 
birds, dogs, even rabbits have to bear their share of 
guilt in accidents of this description; and it is claimed 
that this advantage will appeal more strongly than any 




Dual Tricycle, 

other to the greater bulk of the cycle riding com- 
munity." 

The Dual tricycle possesses a peculiar double gear, 
one wheel driving for power and the other two for 
speed. In this driving gear intermediate wheels are 
used. "These are affixed at the ends of levers placed 
on each side and connected by a swiveling beam. 
Each lever has a catch which holds it in the position 
required, and by pulling this up with the finger, and 
moving the lever backward or forward, as the case may 



i56 



WHEELS AND WHEELING. 



be, either wheel is put into gear, the other being at 
the same time thrown out of gear." 

A machine somewhat of the ordinary type, but fitted 
with a peculiar driving gear, was the Button. It pos- 
sessed the advantage of machines similarly driven that 
coasting could be enjoyed with the feet on the pedal, 
but its gear was of a complicated order. 

"The peculiarity of the machine consists of 'Dut- 
ton's patent driving gear,' which may be described as 




Dutton Bicycle. 



follows: A stay rod runs from each fork head to a 
point some 6 inches or 8 inches in front of the axle, 
where it unites with the end of a second shorter and 
stouter rod, which curves out from a few inches above 
the bearings. At the junction of these two rods a 
wheel, some 6 inches in diameter, is fitted, the circum- 
ference of which is cut into teeth, which gear into 
similar ones on a 2^--inch (or thereabouts) wheel affixed 
to the axle of the machine. On the outer side of the 



PECULIAR CYCLES. IS 7 

first wheel a smaller one, some 2 inches to 3 inches in- 
diameter, is affixed by means of screws, which said 
wheel is fitted with a set of ratchet teeth on its circum- 
ference. Outside this again, and on the same bear- 
ing, is pivoted one end of a 12 -inch crank, or rather 
lever, having a pedal at its other end, and a pawl near 
the fulcrum so arranged as to engage the teeth on the 
ratchet wheel on a downward stroke. A small pulley 
is fixed at the top of the neck, and over this a cord 
passes, connecting the two driving levers, so that the 




Eagle Bicycle 

down stroke of one draws the other up. The effect 
of this arrangement is to place the pedals almost im- 
mediately beneath the rider, while the action is a 
powerful one, and the feet can be kept still at pleas- 
ure, the wheel being free to revolve independently of 
the pedals. Of course one cannot back-pedal with it, 
and a stoppage must be effected by the brake. It is 
neatly and strongly made. The above sketch will give 
a good idea of its appearance." 

The Eagle is a well-known American bicycle built 



I5 8 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

somewhat on the lines of the American Star. It is 
said to have the safety of a Safety, together with the 
advantages of an ordinary. It presents a certain com- 
bination of the features of the Star and the ordinary. 
It has a large rear driving wheel, propelled direct by 
cranks, and a small front steering wheel, with a long 
sloping steering bar. 

The Elliott quadricycle is "a light, two-track, steady 
running, safe and easy, open front machine, at a mod- 
erate price. The wheels are constructed in the same 
general manner as are carriage wheels, but instead of 
being inferior to the cheapest carriage wheels, as were 
those used in the old velocipedes, our wheels are supe- 
rior to the finest carriage wheels ever built. This 
statement may sound strong, but we are always ready 
to back it up. The wheels used on the Elliott quad- 
ricycle weigh much less than wire wheels of same size. 
We have wheels which have already withstood hard 
work during the life of an ordinary wire wheel, and 
are still, practically, as good as when made. They 
cannot rust, and the spokes don't get loose. 

"We claim the safest and steadiest steering ever 
made. It is done by either or both hands, and the 
handles can be placed where you want them, being 
adjustable forward and backward, as well as up and 
down. The advantages of being able to sit erect in a 
comfortable position, and at the same time have the 
hands in a line with the feet for hill climbing, will be 
appreciated by all riders. The brake is applied to the 
rims of driving wheels, and is so balanced as to press 
equally on both wheels. Brake handle is adjustable 
for different riders r as are all other parts of machine. 



PECULIAR CYCLES. 



159 



Brake may be securely locked by a simple turn of the 
handle. The bearings are made on a new plan, which 



w 

F 
F 

O 
H 

rO 

► 
a 

S 

o 
k; 
o 




is original in this machine. They are hung in such a 
manner as to remain perfectly free, regardless of load 



i6o 



WHEELS AND WHEELING. 



on machine, or any twisting of frame due to uneven - 
ness of the road." 

The Englefield tricycle is a machine having lever 
action, in which the throw can be altered, while it is in 
motion, so as to cause it to run at any relative power 
from equal to 36-inch to 52-inch. "The adjusting 
racks are carried within the levers, which are tubular, 
to allow the connecting joint to pass up and down in a 
slot, while the revolving pinions are turned by an extra 
handle placed some way behind the rider, and pro- 




Englefield Tricycle. 



vided with a bevel or crown wheel at the bottom, gear- 
ing with a similar one on the end of the pinion rod. 
The levers, too, are drawn up and down by a cord or 
strap passing over a pulley fixed on the frame." 

A peculiar tensioned wheel frame is used on the 
Euclidia Safety. It consists of "two half-tubes form- 
ing a sort of oval, running from the two extremities of 
the ball head, and carrying on their way the bearings 
and seat grip. These are braced together by a num- 
ber of light spokes passing right across the frame, the 



PECULIAR CYCLES. 



161 



hub being no longer used. It makes a wonderfully 
strong and exceedingly light frame." 

An objection to the Kangaroo type of Safety, with 
its two chains, having been the very wide tread — the 
horizontal distance between the centers of the pedals, 
or rather between the planes in which the pedals 




Euclidia Tension Wheel Frame Safety. 



moved, an attempt was made to produce a Narrow 
Tread Wheel which would overcome this objection. 

"The Excelsior Narrow Tread Wheel is especially 
designed for dwarf bicycles. The usual hub, with its 
flanges, is absent, and from the center of the axle five 
stout tubes depart for about a foot, when their ends 
are crossed by short T pieces projecting about an inch 
on either side. These T pieces support two inverted 
felloes or rings of rim steel, having their convex sur- 
faces on the outside instead of, as when used for their 



162 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

legitimate purpose, inside. From these rims spokes 
depart in the usual way to the rims of the wheel 
proper, which hold the rubbers. This makes an ex- 
ceedingly strong wheel, though possibly a pound or so 
heavier than usual; the gain is in the width of tread, 
for the chain wheels and bearings, both upper and 
lower, are carried within the recess thus formed in the 
wheel, and the width of tread therefore is no more, if, 
indeed, nearly so much, as on an ordinary, which is a 




Excelsior Narrow Tread Bicycle. 

distinct gain with the front wheel driving type of 
Safety upon which this wheel is used." 

The Fearnhead is a chainless Safety on which the 
power is not applied at either hub, as in the case of the 
Broncho and Crypto gears. It is driven by a bevel 
gear "in which the shaft is carried within one of the 
compression tubes, and the whole is shut in by a very 
neat casing. The idea of using bevel gear for driving 
a cycle is by no means new, but this is by far the neat- 
est application of the principle yet seen, and in its 
present form may possibly prove successful, while 
those which went before failed." 



PECULIAR CYCLES. 



163 



To the American public the machine called the 
Jupiter Gearless Safety will not perhaps seem strange, 
as they will instantly detect in it a close resemblance 




Gravitation Safety. 



to a domestic wheel — the Eagle — of whicti it appears 
to be a fairly close copy. It has the same large rear 
driving wheel, driven direct by cranks; small front 
steering wheel, and long, sloping, steering post. 




Jupiter Gearless Bicycle. 

. "This machine will be found to embody all the good 
points of the ordinary bicycle, which are: Lightness 
of running, direct power, simplicity, elevation, and 



1 64 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

length of life, together with the best points claimed for 
the dwarf Safety, viz. : Perfect safety, great brake 
power, good position for 'feet up,' luggage and lamp- 
carrying facilities, and a higher gear. (A four-inch 
higher wheel can be taken than on an ordinary.)" 

The Merlin is built in several patterns, but its pecu- 
liar features are its lever steering and driving gear. 
The driving levers are hinged to the fore part of the 
frame, and the driving cord is attached some 4 inches 
from the end, where a pedal is fixed. It has also lever 
steering in which "the handle bar is fastened to a rod 




Merlin Special Brixton Tricycle. 

placed some 3 inches behind the top of the tube which, 
in the ordinary Humber pattern, carries them. Both 
this rod and the top of the tube are fitted with short 
arms or levers projecting at right angles to them. 
Their ends are united by a link, through which power 
is transmitted from the handles to the top of the steer- 
ing gear." 

Soon after the Safety bicycle attained its present 
high state of efficiency, and proved its capabilities in 
the hands of a trained rider, many speculations were 
indulged in as to the possibility of excelling horsemen 



PECULIAR CYCLES. 1 65 

in such departments of practical usefulness as messen- 
ger and scouting service. Tests of various sorts were 
accordingly arranged, and in every instance, both in 
this country and England, the cyclist was able to far 
excel the horseman in speed, and in security from 




Military Bicycle. 

observation. As a result, cycle corps are being 
formed. 

A lever action, rear driving machine of the large- 
wheel type, called the Mona Safety, was produced as 
late as 1890. 

1 'In general appearance it bears more a resemblance 
to the American Star than to any English pattern. 
The front wheel is about half the size of the back, 
which is the driving one. The steering is done by a 
sloping steering post, very much indeed like the Amer- 
ican Star, and while the rider sits just forward of the 
axle, he has his work immediately beneath him, the 
driving being done by levers, as shown in the sketch. 
A horizontal frame running on each side of the ma- 



1 66 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

chine serves to carry the fulcra of these levers, and the 
driving mechanism is an adaptation of the principle 
which was introduced some years since on the Rob 
Roy tricycle, though its application in a neat, light, 
and compact form to the bicycle has been done in 
an exceedingly ingenious manner. The levers work 
short cranks attached to a through axle, which lies 
freely within the hub. Upon one side, attached to 
this axle, or rather to the crank, is a small internally 




Mona Bicycle. 

toothed wheel, which works eccentrically with the axle 
proper of the driving wheel, which has a small spur 
wheel fastened to the outer hub, this being snugly held 
within the before-mentioned internally-toothed wheel-, 
and the wheel thus geared up by the motions of the 
levers. Another special feature is the spring arrange- 
ment of the saddle. This consists in attaching the 
saddle to the end of a lever, hinged to the frame in 
front, and supporting it in a high position by a strong 
coiled spring. The weight on the saddle tends to con- 



PECULIAR CYCLES. 



167 



tinually expand this spring, and virtually the weight of 
the rider is sustained by it. Mr. Edwards claims as 
one point in favor of the machine that by turning the 
handles round the machine can be driven in the oppo- 
site direction, and its type thus entirely altered; but as 
to do this steering would have to be done with the 
back wheel, and as that system of steering has never 
yet proved satisfactory, we dismiss this point altogether 
from our minds. The machine is, strongly built and 
nicely made, and the working out of the idea is cer- 
tainly extremely ingenious." 

The Mumford tricycle is a machine fitted with an 
arrangement permitting the use of the arms to aid in 




Mumford Tricycle. 



propelling the machine. It is said that it "is a marvel 
for power and ease. As a hill climber, and for gen- 
eral purposes, it defies the world. It can be worked 
with a combination of hand and foot power, or with 
the hands only or the feet only. On level roads the 



i68 



WHEELS AND WHEELING. 



Mumford will be a great boon, as the feet and hands 
can be used alternately, thus giving rest to one set of 
muscles while another set is brought into action, and 
strengthening the arms and chest as effectually as row- 
ing. It can be thrown in and out of gear instantly, 
and there is no extra weight. This is a splendid 
machine for people with varicose veins, weak legs, 
weak backs, or those who are unable to use one or 




Omnicycle. 



both legs; also for riders of advanced age who ctre 
seeking a machine for pleasure and ease, because they 
are tired of being machine-slaves. It is a blessing to 
the tourist/ ' 

The Omnicycle, here shown, ' 'differs from any of 
the ordinary patterns of machines, being driven by 
means of expanding segments. The two driving 
wheels are connected by means of a main axle, while 



PECULIAk CYCLES, 1 69 

about eight inches above this, supported on two bear- 
ings, is the seat rail, on which adjustable handles and 
seat rod are fixed. From the center of this rail descends 
the central tube, to which steering wheel is attached. 
About four inches from the steering head of the small 
wheel, on central tube, is a cross bar, and to this are 
attached two (one each side of tube) curved levers, 
with pedals at their ends. To these pedals are con- 
nected two deep U-shaped steel forks, being fastened 
at the top to stout leather straps. On the axle, at 
either side, are two expanding segments, while in the 
hubs of the driving wheels are the clutches (consisting 
of ratchets and pawls), and in the center is the double 
chain pulley. Lower down the central tube is a fork in 
which the lower chain pulley is adjusted. Fine steel 
chains connect these pulleys. The lower chain pulley 
is perfectly hollow, but in the interior of the upper are 
arranged three ball-jambing clutches. Each segment 
drives a wheel, and the chains simply act as pulleys, 
and the segments are attached to the afore-mentioned 
leather straps, and so connected to pedals. The mo- 
tion is an up and down lever motion, and the segments 
expand to three positions by pulling small levers, so 
that hills of almost any gradient can be overcome." 

A two- wheeled machine, sometimes known as a 
"dicycle, " was the Otto. Its peculiar construction 
lay in the two wheels being placed side by side, at the 
ends of an axle, as on a tricycle. It was said to run 
well, climb hills easily, and be safe and steady when 
once mastered; but it often required considerable 
patience to get the knack of it, and much practice to 
become expert in its use. 



170 



WHEELS AND WHEELING. 



"In point of construction the wheels are usually 50 
inches or 54 inches in diameter, and built with very 
large gun metal hubs, direct spokes, crescent rims, 
and red rubbers. Upon the inner side of each wheel 
a smooth band wheel, about a foot in diameter, is 
securely attached and connected with a second band 
wheel, by an endless flat steel band, of great strength 
and pliancy. The second pair of band wheels are of 
the same size as the first, and are attached to the ends 
of a double-cranked pedal shaft, such as is used with 




Otto Dicycle. 



the majority of tricycles. The connection of this shaft 
and wheels with the main frame is one of the most 
ingenious parts in the construction of the whole ma- 
chine, and shows to good advantage the admirable and 
really exquisite fitting and workmanship. Stout rods 
project downward and forward from the axle to the 
pedal shaft, passing through cyclindrical sockets, and 
thus supporting it. At the upper ends of the rods 
'spade' handles are attached, and by turning either of 
these the end of the pedal-shaft in connection with it 



PECULIAR CYCLES. 



I 7 I 



is raised, which action consequently causes the band 
upon that side to become slack, when, of course, the 
other wheel, remaining in gear, drives round its com- 
panion, and thus the machine may be turned in either 
direction as required. This action is facilitated much 
by the simultaneous application of the brake to which- 
ever wheel is thrown out of gear, this operation being 
performed automatically. The seat is placed on 
springs supported on adjustable rods in the center of 




The Racoon Bicycle. 

the main axle, at its junction with a tubular 'tail* or 
support, which falls away rearward, and ends in a 
small roller, serving to support the rider should he 
lose his balance backward." 

A machine which in outline of frame somewhat 
resembled the Kangaroo type, but which had a lever 
action very similar to that of the Facile, while it had 
a distinctive feature of its own in the shape of its driv- 
ing gear, was the Racoon. Its driving wheel was 
small, but was geared up. 



172 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

"The Racoon driving gear is a combination of the 
lever and gear wheel movements. To the fork end, 
just above the bearings, a metal arm is attached, this 
curving slightly upward and ending in a bearing for a 
large gear wheel which gears with a second and smaller 
toothed wheel upon the axle of the driving wheel. 
The lower part of the afore- mentioned arm runs for- 
ward, taking much the same shape as the fore portions 
of the elongated Facile forks. At the extremity of 
this is a bearing forming the fulcrum for a lever, at 




Spiral Safety. 

the rear end of which the foot is placed upon a pedal 
in the usual manner, while the forward end is con- 
nected to the larger gear wheel before mentioned by 
means of a connecting rod attached, like the piston 
rod of an engine, to the side of the wheel. The action 
of this gear is, by means of the lever and intermediate 
rod, to draw the larger wheel round. This gearwheel 
communicates its motion to the smaller wheel, and 
through this to the driving wheel, and thus propels the 
machine at a higher rate of speed than the movement 
of the foot. As the lever action is very similar to that 



PECULIAR CYCLES. 173 

of the Facile, the combination, generally speaking, 
might be termed a geared-up Facile." 

A simple and strong frame of unusual lines is that 
of the Spiral Safety. The " frame consists entirely of 
a single tube bent into two complete circles to carry 
the seat pillar, rear wheel, and crank bracket. The 
forks and handle bars, too, are composed of two tubes, 
running straight from the front bearings to the handle 
grips." 

The Start Safety has a frame consisting of tubing, 
beginning at the head of the machine and circling 




Start Safety. 

back to the rear axle, and around beneath, and up to 
saddle pillar again without a joint. The ' 'machine is 
built with only two brazed joints in the entire frame. 
It is wonderfully rigid, light, and strong, weldless 
steel tube throughout, ball bearings, including head 
and pedals. Owing to the entire absence of heavy 
stampings it can be built lighter than any other known 
frame." 

A sort of small, geared-up ordinary was the Sun 
and Planet, and its gearing was said to be "one of the 
simplest and prettiest mechanical machines in the 
market." The machine was built with a compara- 



*74 



WHEELS AXD WHEELING. 



tively small driving wheel, and with the exception of 

this feature and the peculiar gear, it was essentially an 
ordinary. 

"Upon each side the hub a large 8-inch spur wheel 
is fastened just outside the forks: taken thus, the 
wheel and its attachments with a hollow axle run loose 
in the bearings; through this hollow axle a rod passes, 
carrying at each end a crank, which is provided at its 
end with a small spur wheel, so placed as to gear with 




Sun and Planet Bicycle. 



the larger one: and the same pin that serves to secure 
the small spur wheel to the end of the crank serves to 
attach a second crank, which hangs loose and carries a 
specially constructed pedal at its lowest extremity. If 
either of the cranks be turned by itself upon its own 
center the small spur wheel will revolve and travel 
round the larger one, but if the feet are pressed so as 
always to keep the crank in a vertical position, the 
small wheel draws the large one round with it. at the 



PECULIAR CYCLES. 



175 



same time causing it to travel about 1^ revolutions to 
one of the pedals ; thus, a 3-inch wheel travels as a 
48-inch, and so on. It is but little harder to drive up 
hills than the ordinary, and a ten to twelve mile pace 
on a fair road is easily obtainable. Its steering action, 
foot motion, and position of rider are identical with 
those of the ordinary machine, while one has the ad- 
vantage of being close to the grou.nd, in a place of 
comparative safety." 

A large wheel, front driver and steerer, lever action 




Springfield Roadster Bicycle. 



machine, of American make, was the Springfield 
Roadster bicycle. It was on the market for several 
years, and was much liked by those who fancy that 
type of machine. 

"The levers and clutch oscillate on a fixed axle, 
upon which the large gears rotate constantly after the 
power has been applied, which transmits the motion to 



176 WHEELS AND WHEELING, 

the large wheel from a fixed shaft. The clutch forms 
a f -inch roll-bearing for the gears. Thus, we avoid 
all strain and friction from the direct application of 
power to the main shaft or wheel as occurs in the 
ordinary crank method, which method makes a side 
strain, and changes the friction upon the shaft or 
bearing case from side to side, as the rider alternates 
the application of power. To avoid all strain or 
friction on the axle-bearing from joints, we have 
lapped the bearing case over the forks, making it 
rigid, with if-inch parallel bearings on each side lined 
perfectly central with backbone, with no strain except 
from the weight of the rider, which, in proper posi- 
tion, is always superimposed in the radius of the 
wheel. These bearings contain oil cavities, which will 
hold a sufficient quantity of oil to keep them con- 
stantly lubricated, without waste, protecting the steel 
from friction and wear. 

"The rear wheel has adjustable bearings which are 
durable and easy to adjust. The rear wheel is larger 
by 4 inches in diameter than that used on the ordi- 
nary 50-inch crank wheel; consequently we lessen the 
friction and jar and secure a smooth-running wheel. 
Clutch and gears of forged steel. The clutch is per- 
fectly noiseless and mechanically self-adjusting, the 
construction of which forms a complete roll-bearing 
when the levers are not on the downward stroke. 
It grips instantly when the power is applied, and 
locks firm and rigid. The motion of the levers 
downward and forward is 13 inches, being much 
less than any other device used for propelling 
bicycles. This gives better results, is less tiresome, 



PECULIAR CYCLES. 177 

and conforms more closely to the natural walking 
motion. 

"The mechanical construction of this wheel is such 
that it changes the pivotal point from the axle to the 
point of contact or obstruction. The power being 
applied directly underneath the body and back of the 
center of large wheel, it prevents the fork and the 
backbone from traveling faster than the large wheel, 
as the clutch mechanism locks when this occurs, and 
the momentum and the weight of the body, or power 
applied, become factors in propelling the wheel for- 
ward. Thus, in striking an obstruction, instead of 
being thrown forward over the wheel, as would be the 
result if the forks were pivoted on the axle, the force 
of the blow rotates the wheel, and carries the wheel 
and rider over the obstruction; the rear wheel can rise 
and follow over the obstruction, as the locking of the 
clutch mechanism does not occur until the speed of the 
larger wheel has been checked. There is no extra fric- 
tion or weight thrown on the rear wheel, as the device 
locks only when the fork or little wheel is raised from 
the ground, which is the equivalent to checking the 
revolution of the large wheel. Again, we transmit the 
motion to the axle of the large wheel from the front of 
the center of the axle, and from a stationary shaft, 
from which the levers oscillate and extend backward 
underneath the weight of the rider, for convenience 
and the better application of power, without loss of 
motion, dead centers, or without applying the power 
forward from the center of position of rider. By this 
method we apply the power to the front of the center 
of large wheel, as in the ordinary or crank bicycle, but 



178 



WHEELS AND WHEELING. 



with none of the disadvantages arising from it. We 
secure a safe and practical wheel. In short, with our 
clutch and lever motion, the backbone and fork cannot 
be forced forward without rotating the large wheel. 
This does not cause any extra strain on the mechanism 
or wheel, as the force of the blow is relieved by the 
levers upon which the rider forces his weight alter- 
nately, and thus the power applied has the tendency 




Volante Safety Bicycle. 

to force the wheel to rotate, and carry it over the 
obstruction, and forward. ' ' The company also applied 
their driving gear to a small-wheel Safety bicycle, 
called the Volante, built with a cross frame. 

A few fancy riders and athletic young men have 
become expert in the use of a single wheel, or Uni- 
cycle, and able to ride one at considerable speed on 
the track, and also to use one on ordinary roads. 

A Safety bicycle, called the White Flyer, was pro- 
duced in 1889 at Westboro, Mass. Instead of the 
usual chain and sprocket wheels, it was driven by a 



PECULIAR CYCLES. i?9 

chain running over hardened drums, the pedals work- 
ing on a vertical "swing frame" which depended from 
the backbone between the wheels. The pedals could 
be stopped in any position and used as foot rests; 
pushing one down raised the other a corresponding 
distance. "The swing or guide frame hanging from 
the backbone, on which the pedals move up and 




Unicycle. 

down, can be thrust, while the rider is in motion, to 
almost any angle. Thus, if he wishes a vertical tread, 
the frame can be swung so that the pedals come well 
under the saddle. If, on the contrary, the rider 
wishes to change the position, and get more of the 
thrust stroke which uses the thigh muscles (as in a 
rotary motion crank Safety), this can instantly be done 



i8o 



WHEELS AND WHEELING. 



by swinging the frame toward the front wheel. This 
ability to vary the stroke will rest the rider. When 
the driving pedal is on top of the guide frame, and in 
the beginning of a stroke, the construction is such that 
the rider has more leverage than at any other point in 
the whole stroke. The leverage lessens as the pedal 
moves down, and as the legs straighten out, thus equal- 




White Flyer Safety Bicycle. 



izing the force to be exercised necessary to drive the 
machine." 

The Zimer Power Safety is an ''ordinary Safety, fitted 
with a device to enable the rider to utilize his arms as 
well as his legs when he finds it desirable. The prin- 
ciple of the device, as a means of using one's arm 
power, in addition to or instead of one's leg force, is 
certainly better than any other manumotive machine 
on the market. The swinging handle bar is mounted 
on neat ball bearings, the clutch is in a gear box, and 



PECULIAR CYCLES. 



iSi 



pulled at by a chain on teeth, and in the case of the 
tricycle the handle bar can be worked continuously on 
a crank between the bearings for the feet cranks. In 
the other form the power is applied intermittently on 
the up stroke only. The practical use of the gear 
must not be lost sight of, and it certainly enables any- 
one to get the full extent of his power out of himself 




Zimer Power Safety. 



into the propulsion of his machine. The man is the 
sole source of the energy; in the ordinary machine his 
legs are the only outlet for his powers; in this his arms 
may be brought into play (or work) as well. It adds 
nothing to a man's power, but considerably increases 
his means of using the power that is in him. The 
device is a machine, not an engine." 



ANTI-VIBRATION DEVICES. 

I^HE establishment in popular favor of the rear- 
driving chain Safety tended to revolutionize 
cycling in more than one way. Not only did the low 
wheel completely usurp the places previously occupied 
by other types, but it threw cycling open to both 
sexes and all classes; widened indefinitely its possibil- 
ities; and likewise ushered in a host of questions, con- 
cerning the new condition of affairs, that could be 
solved only by time, experience, and experiment. 

The use of the Safety soon showed that considerable 
vibration was present in riding, even though at first it 
had been claimed that vibration would be but a small 
quantity, owing to the rider's position between the 
wheels. The first Safeties were heavy, and had fairly 
large wheels and tires, so vibration on them was per- 
haps not excessive when they were ridden slowly. 
But soon machines were much lightened, wheels were 
reduced in size, and tires were cut down so as to 
become mere strings. All these changes made vibra- 
tion greater, and what to do in order to overcome it 
became a very important question. 

Experience has shown that the effect of vibration is 
far greater than anyone supposed up to a very recent 
time. Dr. Richardson says that "nothing produces so 
much injurious fatigue, or so bad an effect on the 
health in cycling as vibration. It is a shock to the 

182 



ANTI-VIBRATION DEVICES. 183 

nervous system, causing a continued feeling of vibra- 
tion through the body, a sense of nausea, and a degree 
of nervous prostration, accompanied with a reduced 
power of the lower limbs, which, to say the least of it, 
is very inconvenient, and which in a feeble person 
may be attended with actual risk." 

Besides this, it has been shown that in cycling the 
weariness which follows either a long ride or a fast 
ride is caused much more largely by vibration than 
by mere muscular effort. Anyone can test it by taking 
a light machine, with a thin, solid tire, and ride 
it ten miles at fair speed on an average road. Then 
take a cushion or pneumatic tired wheel and repeat 
the ride, and note the difference. If the reader has 
been using a cushion or pneumatic for a few weeks, 
he can easily be convinced by riding a light, thin tired 
machine for an hour. Its immense inferiority will be 
plain to him, but he may not so quickly realize that 
the inferiority is due to the great vibration, and the 
consequent fatigue and nervous prostration he suffers. 

This was recognized as a fact only by slow degrees, 
and after much hard experience with the thinnest of 
tires. When manufacturers and inventors did see it, 
however, they looked about for a remedy, and soon 
fixed upon two distinct methods of counteracting the 
evil — increasing the cushioning properties of the tire, 
and so absorbing vibration at the point of contact with 
the ground; and by introducing a spring, or combina- 
tion of springs, capable of absorbing the vibration 
caused by the road surface. The question of tires is 
treated in another chapter. In this one is considered 
what are generally, and somewhat roughly, known 



1 84 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

as ' 'spring frame' ' machines, and under that head may 
be included any machine possessing an anti-vibration 
device, whether it be a single spring, a combination 
of springs, or a combination of springs and joints. 
But first a word regarding differences in vibration. 

The most common sort of vibration, and that which 
is always present, is what is continuously produced by 
the innumerable little inequalities of every road sur- 
face. This differs in degree with the condition of the 
road, but is very appreciable even on surfaces which 
pass as excellent. It shows itself plainly in the con- 
stant trembling of the handles of a moving machine, 
and is tremulous vibration. . The other form of vibra- 
tion is produced by any sort of bumps or jolts, whether 
caused by passing over comparatively large obstruc- 
tions, or by depressions in the road. It is bumping or 
jolting vibration. 

The efficacy of good tires is shown in their ability 
to absorb tremulous vibration; they cannot absorb 
jolting vibration. Suitable springs may also partly 
absorb tremulous vibration, and they alone are capable 
of absorbing jolting vibration. Consequently, it fol- 
lows that an ideal anti -vibration wheel requires a tire 
with great cushioning properties, and a well designed 
spring frame to absorb all jolts. Such a combination 
undoubtedly provides luxurious riding. 

Inventors have gone to work in different ways to 
introduce their spring devices. Some have claimed 
that the worst vibration is felt at the handle bar, and 
have sought to -remove that by means of a spring front 
fork; others have believed that the vibration from the 
rear wheel is worst, and have introduced springs to 



ANTI- VIBRA TION DE VICES. I ^5 

overcome that; and others again have used a spring or 
springs in other parts, sometimes enabling the whole 
frame to work in an easy manner. Just where these 
devices should be used, if they are applied to but a 
single point, is perhaps a question of temperament and 
individual taste. Vibration is felt most severely at 
different points by different riders. The following 
machines and descriptions will show what has been 
produced with the purpose of catering to all possible 
sorts of requirements: 



AMERICAN DESIGNS. 

The following description of the spring frame of 
the American Rambler is from a recent catalogue of 
the manufacturers: 

"The spring frame of this machine has been one of 
the chief factors in establishing its popularity. Vibra- 
tion is the greatest evil to be encountered in the Safety 
bicycle, and the vices (for such some really are) and 
devices which have been invented to circumvent it are 
as many as they are varied and peculiar. We were 
the first American makers to recognize the value of the 
spring frame as an anti-vibrator, and that it has been 
shown to be a sine qua non to comfortable cycling, the 
attention and imitation centering in the direction of 
spring frames fully prove, and to-day, while others are 
but just awaking to their true value, and offering 
experiments therein, in our Ramblers we are able to 
present a spring frame which has long since passed 
the experimental stage, and one which is practical and v 
does what is claimed for it, not simply because we say 
so, but because it has been so proven by three years 
of actual and extensive use. Others are beginning 
where we left off three years ago. We have yet to see 
or hear of an unprejudiced rider, it matters not what 
his mount, who, having tried a Rambler, has not testi- 
fied to the excellence and positive luxury afforded by 
its spring frame. 

186 



ANTI-VIBRATION DEVICES. 187 

"Anti-vibration devices have been placed in almost 
every conceivable place and position, but it must be 
apparent to the thinking person that four-fifths of the 
rider's weight being sustained by the rear wheel, that 
there must the vibration be most harmful, and there 
the greatest necessity for a preventive exist. It will 
be noted that Ramblers not only have the right thing, 
but have it in the right place. The relation of such a 
practical spring frame to the durability of the ma- 
chine is also apparent; the force of all hard knocks and 




American Rambler Spring Frame. 

concussions being lessened very materially by the 
elastic nature of the spring, increases the life of the 
machine in the same proportion that it adds to the 
comfort of the rider. 

"The spring frame consists of a hinged rear fork 
and rear wheel, united to a frame carrying the saddle 
by a tempered and yielding spring, so arranged that an 
obstruction met by the rear wheel causes no elevation 
of the rider's seat or pedals; similarly a depression in 
the road, allowing the rear wheel to drop, does not 



1 88 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

produce that effect on the rider, as the spring, by 
expanding, permits the main frame to retain a normal 
position, largely independent of the condition of the 
road's surface. This spring action of the wheel is 
doubtless as great an advance in the cycle art as the 
adoption of the rubber or pneumatic tire, and is for 
the same object, the reduction of vibration; but it goes 
farther and operates through greater vertical distances, 
neutralizing the large concussion, while the tire 
reduces only the smaller ones. The mechanical effect 
results in conserving the energy of the rider for use in 
propulsion alone, instead of greatly expending it in 
raising his weight over and out of inequalities in the 
path. 

"Three grades of frame springs are used, light, 
medium, and heavy, for riders weighing 120, 150, and 
180 pounds respectively. The medium spring is 
invariably furnished unless otherwise specified in 
order.' ' 

The Bolte spring fork is fitted to the front wheel of 
the Giant Safeties, and the drop frame pattern, called 
the Giantess, has it fitted to the rear wheel as well. 
"The fork is made up in two sections so formed as 
to produce perfect steering. In fact, in this regard, 
it is the equal of a solid 'fork, and still permits of free 
spring action, thus absorbing the vibration entirely. 

"The auxiliary fork is attached to the bearing of 
the wheel and extends around the wheel at the rim to 
the opposite side of shaft, where it is also attached to 
the shaft. The steering fork strides the wheel and is 
fulcrumed to the auxiliary fork, upon which fulcrum 
the two sections of the fork move, the extent of which 



ANTI-VIBRATION DEVICES. 189 

is governed by the stops, which are set for the neces- 
sary action required. 

"The springs, of which there are two, one on each 
side, are held in position, and are attached by a 
simple and adjustable device, which admits of taking 
up all wear and looseness. This is also true of the 
fulcrum by which the two sections of the fork are 
united. The springs are adjustably attached so as to 
permit of adjustment to the weight of the rider. The 




Bolte Spring Fork. 

machines, when leaving the factory, are adjusted to an 
average of about 150 pounds. To strengthen the 
spring for heavier riders, the set screws should be 
loosened and the spring forced farther in. To weaken 
the spring, it should be pushed farther out toward its 
end. This adjustability to weight is not found in any 
other spring fork, and is an important as well as a val- 
uable feature." 

The Columbia Safety is supplied with continuous 



190 



WHEELS AND WHEELING. 



rigid forks, or with spring forks. Under the head of 
"steering," the manufacturers say: 

"Consideration of our Columbia Spring Joints 
comes appropriately under this head, for while the 
original idea is to relieve the frame and handle bars 
from vibration, the value of this point is largely coun- 
terbalanced in any case where it is attained in such a 
way as to affect the positiveness of the steering. We 




Columbia Spring Fork. 



present an amply elastic spring joint, which does not 
detract from the neat appearance of the fork, nor in 
the least affect the positive steering for which all our 
Safeties are remarkable. The joints work on new 
conical bearings, which afford ample take-up for wear. 
The springs can readily be dispensed with, and the 
fork made perfectly rigid if desired." 

The Dauntless spring fork possesses "the property 



ANTI-VIBRATION DEVICES, 



191 



of adjustability, or convertibility from a spring of any 
tension to that of absolute rigidity, thus combining in 




Dauntless Spring Fork Safety. 

one both a rigid and a spring fork machine. The 
ease with which the change or transformation is 




Eclipse Spring Fork Safety. 

accomplished, which is simply to change the position 
of the coasters by means of a wrench, up or down the 
fork, is another strong point of merit.' ' 



I9 2 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

The Eclipse, as originally built, as here shown, had 
4 'spring forks made of the best crucible spring steel, 
tempered in oil and fitted with adjustable coasters that 
can be raised or lowered so as to change the tension 
of the spring to suit the rider." 

The Kenwood Safety is fitted with springs to the 
front fork, in regard to which they say that they "seem 




Kenwood Spring Fork. 

to have been more fortunate than other makers. 
Kenwoods are the only spring fork machines on the 
market to-day in which the front wheel stays where it 
belongs. It will not strike the fork, sides, and tracks 
steadily. We have avoided the cheap makeshift of a 
cone, or taper joint, and use instead a perfect ball 
bearing joint, such as is used in the wheel hubs. 



ANTI-VIBRATION DEVICES. 193 

Nothing can be more accurate and firm, and at the 
same time an entirely free joint is secured. We use 
four springs instead of two, and have by a very simple 
arrangement provided for the adjustment of the spring 
tension to suit the requirements of the rider. By this 
means a man weighing two hundred pounds can in a 
moment arrange the tension so that he can have the 
degree of spring he desires, and -without the least 
trouble can rearrange it in a moment to suit a hundred 
pound boy. ,, 

The New Mail Safety bicycle has a spring fork, or 
rather a spring inserted in the tube above the front 




New Mail Spring Fork. 

forks, which is quite out of sight. The only outward 
indication of it is the little rod, just above the front 
forks, on which the tube works. They say : 

"We have adopted what we believe to be the best 
spring fork (a coiled spring inside the fork column), 
acting in a direct line from the arms of the rider to 



194 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

the point of any concussion. In no way does this 
spring fork interfere with steadiness of steering. Ours 
is a direct vertical action. A spring fork is an advan- 
tage if it does not interfere with steady riding. But 
there should be no yielding of spring sideways, for 
such throws the rider one side and causes the front 
wheel to swerve suddenly; in fact, the hands cannot 
be taken off the handles with safety for a moment. 
Excessive spring or yielding of forks also is a disad- 
vantage, as the rider cannot use full power for pro- 
pelling, especially in hill work, as the front wheel 
gives way, so to speak, but, while ours relieves all 
effect from concussion, it does not interfere with full 
power for propulsion. It is out of sight and neat." 

The New York Safety has spring forks, concerning 
which the manufacturers say the ' 'spring is our special 
feature, and so arranged as to become a perfect cush- 
ion and to give the utmost comfort to the rider with- 
out any liability of breakage. We guarantee our 
springs to be non-breakable. We can safely do this, 
owing to the fact that the elasticity of the spring is 
perfectly adjustable to any weight of person, and is so 
rigid as to obviate any possible flinch or side motion 
of the wheel, as both sides operate in unison. They 
are not in the way or cumbersome, nor liable to get 
out of order or rattle, as the very nature of the spring 
prevents that. The yoke to which the springs are 
attached is made of one piece running from one side 
of the hub up over the wheel, back down to the other 
side of the hub, thus insuring a perpendicular rise or 
fall. And the yoke slips through a split ball, which is 
perfectly adjustable. As the frame is one solid piece, 



ANTI-VIBRATION DEVICES, 195 

the distance from the pedals to the saddle cannot 
vary. The arrangement of our yoke and springs is 
such as to take up all vibration from the rider's hands, 
and also from the frame; as the spring is entirely sepa- 
rate from the frame and from the handle bars, there 
can be no possibility of vibration." 

The Paragon Safety bicycle is a drop frame ma- 
chine, regarding whose spring frame its manufacturers 
say: 

"Our tubular spring frame with our equalizing 
device is undoubtedly the best invention ever intro- 
duced for absorbing the jar and vibration of a bicycle. 
The frame is made of the best steel tubing; it is trian- 
gular in form, the saddle post and pedal shaft carrier 
making the third side of the triangle. The frame is 
attached to the rear fork, directly in front of the rear 
axle, and springs downward and forward naturally, 
with the motion of the rider. The swing is controlled 
by a coiled spring made from steel wire drawn ex- 
pressly for us. The spring is placed on a neat base, 
which forms part of the main frame, directly over the 
pedal shaft. It is held in check by a steel collar, that 
allows free play but prevents too much expansion or 
contraction. This spring is by a simple device made 
self-adjustable to the weight of the rider, and will ride 
as easily with a light as with a heavy person, and still 
we claim it to be vastly stronger than any similar 
device in the market. The pedal shaft sprocket wheel 
and bearings are attached to the swing frame, as is the 
saddle, so that the feet and body move together, doing 
away with all difficulty regarding the forcing of the 
feet from the pedals in rough riding. The spring 



196 



WHEELS AND WHEELING. 



being at the junction of the frame, the forks take 
off a large per cent, of the jar from the frame, thereby 




ANTI-VIBRATION DEVICES. 



197 



adding to the life of the machine and the comfort of 
the rider, besides saving much expense in repair bills, 
etc. The mud guard is of one piece and is a part of 
the swing frame; it is 
ample and light, and the 
whole device gives the 
machine an exceedingly 
graceful appearance, and, 
we know, will be appreci- 
ated by the rider." 

The Peerless patent 
spring fork "works on 
the same principle as a 
watch case spring, or an 
ordinary door spring. 
Nothing can be more 
simple. It can readily 
be adjusted to suit the 
weight of any rider, by 
removing the handle bar 
and loosening or tighten- 
ing the compression bolt, 
as the case may be, and 
then securing it with the 
lock nut. As the spring 
only compresses one- 
fourth of an inch it will 
never break. The dist- 
ance between fulcrum and 
crown lug, which acts as a stop, is multiplied sixteen 
times, and consequently, if the spring works one-fourth 
of an inch, it springs four inches at the fork end." 




Peerless Spring Fork. 



I9 8 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

In the Sylph the "spring truss frame consists of 
front and rear parts, each carrying a wheel, and an 
upper part carrying the load. These parts are hinged 
together at the crank axle, and held in the desired 
position by spring braces. The hinge is rigid in 
every direction except up and down, so that there is 
no loss of rigidity as in spring forks, where there is a 
hinge on each side of the wheel, one of which may 
act without the other, allowing the wheel to wabble. 




Sylph Spring Frame Safety. 

When either wheel of the Sylph strikes an obstruction, 
it rises over it, compressing the springs instead of 
jolting the rider. The hinge is as far from each 
wheel as possible, so that very little spring action is 
required to allow the wheel to cross a. large obstruc- 
tion. This means that less vibration is transmitted 
through our springs than through most others, and 
that our springs will last longer. 

"It is obvious that a frame trussed as is that of the 
Sylph is an exceptionally strong one, and as the 
springs take the shock, our machine, light though ir 



ANTI-VIBRATION DEVICES. 190 

is, can be ridden with impunity up and down curbs 
that would surely 'smash' a stiff frame machine of the 
same weight. Compressed coils are used, which. are 
not only the simplest and most durable, but are so 
arranged in the cases that, if they break, the machine 
is still ridable. 

"We call attention to the fact that the portions of 
the frame composing the hinge are not made of forg- 
ings, but of pressed sheet steel, carefully shaped, 
pinned, and brazed so as to combine great strength 
and rigidity with extreme lightness. So, too, is every 
part of the machine that cannot better be made of 
tubings or forgings. The springs are inclosed in cases 
which exclude dirt and grit. Passing through the 
springs and out through the cases are pistons, which 
compress the spring when weight is applied. It will 
be seen that all of the weight is sustained by these 
springs, and further that the upright saddle post is 
maintained in its upright position by them. This 
means, first, that either wheel is free to rise without 
affecting the saddle, and, second, that a back and 
forward swing of the saddle is permitted. The value 
of the first is evident, but the second requires explana- 
tion. Suppose the saddle to be exactly over the rear 
wheel. Vibration of the front wheel would not raise 
and lower the saddle, but would throw it back and 
forward. It is to meet this motion, as well as the up 
and down, that we use the three-part frame. Try for 
yourself by watching the saddle as the front wheel rises 
and falls over obstructions, and you will see once for 
all why a three-part frame does fully what other frames 
only half do. Pages of argument could be given to 



266 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

show the mechanics of springs, and why one form is 
better than another, but simple tests like the above are 
fully as conclusive. 

"Not only is our hinge at the best position between 
the wheels, but it is at the best position vertically. 
The hinge is the 'point of push' in spring frames, 
and should be below the front axle, for then the front 
wheel rises over obstacles easier. Try pushing a 
wheelbarrow, and you will understand this. With the 
rear wheel the position of the hinge is scarcely less 
important, for, although it will climb obstructions all 
right, it jolts severely in dropping down. Lead a 
wheelbarrow downstairs, and see if you do not hold 
the handle low. Yet there is a limit. The power is 
applied to the rear wheel, and the front one is pushed. 
If the frame be straight and stiff, no power is lost; 
but if the hinge be so far out of the line of the axles 
that a V is formed, the push tends to double the 
frame instead of driving the front wheel. This doub- 
ling destroys power instead of utilizing it, and has 
been the cause of much objection to springs in the 
frames of cycles. Put the front wheel against a wall 
or other obstacle, and drive the rear one. With some 
machines the wheel base can be shortened two inches. 
On such a machine every pebble checks the front 
wheel and destroys its momentum, which has to be 
supplied again from the rider's muscle. For this 
very serious reason the point of push — /. £., the 
hinge — should be nearly in a line through the axles. 
Ours is there, and the objection that spring frames 
are useless for speed or hill-climbing does not apply 
to our machine. It takes less muscle to drive our 



ANTI- VIBRA T10N DE VICES. 20I 

machine up hill or over a rough road than any stiff 
frame ever built. Ask any teamster if a spring wagon 
is not easiest on his team. 

"Our hinge joint is perfectly adjustable for wear, 
hence will not rattle or permit side play. As proofs 
of the efficiency of our frame, there is no tendency to 
jolt the feet off of the pedals, and many of our riders 
use no spring under the saddle. The springs, being 
coils, adjust themselves to the weight of the rider like 
a spring-balance spring, but that the weight may be 
supported at the preferred height from the ground, 
the truss rods are each provided with a means of 
adjustment which may be used to vary the position of 
the upright. This adjustability substantially allows 
the rider to build his machine to order, as it permits 
him to vary the distance between the saddle post and 
the handle bars, the position of the saddle over the 
pedals, the height of the pedals above the ground, and 
the angle of the saddle post. On no other machine 
are all these adjustments possible/' 

Some of the patterns of Union Safety bicycles are 
fitted with spring forks to both front and rear wheels, 
thus securing a spring frame. Their pattern known as 
No 12 is one of these. 

"Heretofore, nearly all so-called anti-vibratory 
machines were fitted with springs on the front forks 
only. The fallacy of this idea can be easily seen when 
it is considered that more than two-thirds of the rider's 
weight is on the rear part, and in passing over an 
obstacle, the driving wheel acts in precisely the same 
manner as it would if in a perfectly rigid frame, with- 
out relieving the jar at all. We have fitted the same 



202 



WHEELS AND WHEELING. 



excellent device to both front and rear forks, and feel 
confident of having reached the highest stage of per- 
fection to which it is possible to raise the spring frame. 
"All tendency for the wheels to sway from side to 
side in the forks is overcome by means of the auxil- 
iary forks, which are continuous around over the 
guards, and connected to the main frame by springs, 
formed in such a manner as to be sensitive to the least 




Union Spring Frame Safety. 

irregularity, and at the same time withstand the great- 
est. These springs are readily detachable, and may 
be replaced by straight, stiff rods, thereby making the 
frame perfectly rigid. At the connections of the main 
with the auxiliary forks, we have fitted a neat ball 
bearing, by means of which the joints may be ad- 
justed, and in addition, contributing a freedom of 
action, thereby deriving the full benefit of the 
springs." 



ANTI-VIBRATION DEVICES. 203 

The spring fork on the front wheel of the Victor 
Safety is a prominent feature. Regarding it, the 
manufacturers state in their catalogue: 

"It was ours to first recognize the necessity of a 
spring fork to absorb vibration, for the benefit of both 
rider and machine, and the Victor spring fork has 
been applied to all the Safety bicycles we have ever 
built, and has proved a feature of the utmost value. 
Many are the imitations with which it has been 
attempted to produce the results given by the Victor 
Safety, but all in vain. Like all imitations they have 
fallen far short of the original. 

"As the wheels are small the vibration is great, and 
in studying this type of machine as made abroad we 
were convinced that it would require a front fork so 
constructed as to absorb this vibration, and thus, in 
effect, carry its own good road with it. We therefore 
purchased the principal patents bearing on such de- 
vices, and set about determining the best method of 
accomplishing the desired end. The result of our 
experimenting was the spring fork as now used in the 
Victor Safety. 

"Each season's use has added to the enthusiasm of 
all who use it. The best indorsement of our theories 
is to be found in the fact that makers who have been 
arguing against the Victor spring fork ever since its 
appearance, and insisting that the old rigid fork was 
best, are now trying to get the benefit of the spring 
fork by the use of various kinds of springs which they 
claim will give the same results. 

"The Victor spring fork has revolutionized the 
Safety bicycle, and riders may rest assured that the 



204 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

different devices which are claimed to be as good as 
the Victor spring fork are but poor excuses for the 
original and best. One method of absorbing vibration 
is to enlarge the front wheel. This makes a heavier 
and clumsier machine, and with an efficient spring 
fork is entirely unnecessary. An even flexibility 
throughout the entire range of the spring is demanded, 
and it is our opinion that the Victor spring fork is the 
only device which will give such action. 

"The Victor spring fork is composed of four steel 
rods, made of the steel used in the finest sword blades. 
Its flexibility depends upon nine feet 
of steel rods. As the strain is taken 
by so great an area no one portion 
receives any appreciable amount, and 
breakage is almost impossible. As a 
matter of fact they do not break, as 
Victor f ]ve years of service has demonstrated. 
Spring Fork. The rocking beam and adjustable stay 
rods prevent all lateral motion. The 
joints in the rocking beam are furnished with Bown's 
Mollis ball bearings and are extremely easy in vertical 
action but very rigid laterally." 

In the spring frame pattern of the Warwick Perfec- 
tion Safety bicycle, springs made of steel and rubber 
were placed at the ends of both front and rear forks, 
between fork ends and bearing boxes, and were also 
used at the ends of the front forks of their ordinary 
bicycle. 

"This spring bearing is so constructed as to take up 
all concussions, resulting in the production of the only 
absolutely non-vibratory bicycle. Inside the bearing 




ANTI-VIBRATION DEVICES. 



205 



frame, and underneath the fork, is a spring made of 
steel and rubber. The steel takes the strain and the 
rubber takes the vibration, a combination that leaves 
the lateral rigidity of the wheel unimpaired. This is 
a point that cannot fail of inestimable appreciation. 
By means of a set screw the bearing can be perfectly 
adjusted to the weight of any rider. For a heavy 
man the screw is tightened, which closes the spring, 
allowing it to receive the extra weight. The bearing 




Warwick Spring Fork. 



is simply jointed to the bearing frame, which gives an 
elasticity and easy motion when the wheel comes in 
contact with rough surfaces on the road. Another 
device holds the frame rigid in such manner as to take 
up all side strain. The crank is detachable. On 
thorough inspection, it will be the universal verdict 
that the Warwick spring bearing frame is the only per- 
fectly constructed spring bearing frame on the market, 
and the only invention in existence, on an ordinary 
bicycle, which overcomes concussion and prevents all 



206 



WHEELS AND WHEELING. 



vibration. A Perfection bicycle fitted with this device 
will stand more wear and tear on rough roads than any- 
other wheel in existence. 

" Vibration has been the study of inventors for 
years. The Warwick spring bearing frame is the first 
and only satisfactory solution of this problem." 

The Winton spring fork, here shown, has as an 
advantage that "it can be attached to the small wheel 




Winton Spring Fork. 



of an ordinary as well as to a Safety, and that it can 
be attached by anyone without any boring or cutting/ ' 



ENGLISH DESIGNS. 

A peculiar wheel with two rims fitted with springs 
between them is called the Boaz.< The outer rim, 
* 'which is tired with rubber, has metal loops inside 
it, to which spokes are fixed, and these spokes run 
to a large central ring, which is thereby suspended 
around the hub, whence radiate the spokes of the 




Boaz Anti-vibration Wheel. 

inner rim. The two rims are connected by a continu- 
ous band of rubber, in a series of loops bolted alter- 
nately to the one and the other. Briefly, it is a wheel 
within a wheel, the two being held together and kept 
apart by these rubber connectors." 

207 



208 



WHEELS AND WHEELING. 



The British Star has "the bottom of the seat pillar 
hinged to double stays; behind the top of the pillar is 
a round plate pad, between which and a corresponding 
plate on the top of the rear upper forks is a very 




British Star Spring Frame Safety. 



broad, flat coil spring. This absorbs any concussion 
felt by the front wheel, and gives a delightfully easy 
seat to the rider." 

The patent spring fork of the Coventry Machinists' 
Co. is effective. " A glance at the construction of the 
spring, as shown in the accompanying drawing, will 
show that the side play of the wheel, hitherto such an 
inseparable objection to spring forks of any kind, is 
here entirely prevented. It thoroughly absorbs the 
vibration of the wheel, and at the same time fully 
preserves the rigidity of the machine." 

The Don has "a practicable spring frame without 
complication in design or working. In the top of the 
rear forks there is a double link, connecting them with 
the top of the seat pillar, which receives the saddle- 



ANTI-VIBRATION DEVICES. 



209 



pin. The lower forks are horizontal and are taken 
forward beyond the bracket; and between the end and 
lower frame tube there is a strong coil spring. The 




Coventry Machinists' Co. Spring Fork. 

bracket, where the seat pillar and front tube unite, is 
hinged, to permit of a downward motion, which is 
checked by the action of the spring. This produces 




Don Spring Frame Safety. 



a very easy motion for the rider, and, so to speak, 
smoothes the road, reducing concussion and vibration 
to a low point. The front forks are double, and not 



2IO 



WHEELS AND WHEELING. 



continuous. The straight ones run to within three 
inches of the axle, and are connected by a spring with 
the pilot wheel forks, to which they are pivoted in the 
center; this also helps to take the strain off the forks 
when the brake is applied." 

The Elland frame "is something like that of a 
divided diamond, but the head of the rear forks is 
attached to the seat pillar by a coil spring, which gives 
an easy motion to this part of the machine. Two stout 
tubes unite the pillar to the centers; on the upper 
tube is a bell crank, connecting the brake-rod with the 
lever spoon hinged to the crank bracket, which acts on 




Elland Spring Frame Safety. 



the rear wheel, low down, where it is very effective. 
The bottoms of the front straight forks come behind 
the pilot wheel axle, and are connected therewith by 
a hinged link, between which and a short arm above 
there is a coil spring, which receives the weight, and 
gives with any shock to the front wheel. Concussions 
to the rear wheel are absorbed by the top spring." 

A pattern of the Excelsior is fitted with a spring fork 
to the front wheel. " An anti-vibration steering socket 



ANTI-VIBRATION DEVICES, 



211 



is put to the head, for the front forks; and the brake 
acts on the rear wheel, but is applied in the ordinary 
way, the chief communicating joint being a bell crank 
on the forward end of the backbone, or rather back- 




Excelsior Spring Fork Safety. 



bones; it is very powerful. The stays from bracket 
to rear forks are very strong, and there are lighter 
stays from latter to the top of the curved seat pillar, 
and from the former to the head," 

The anti-vibration spring used in the Freeman 
Safety is the same as that used in the Humber and 
Raleigh machines, and is illustrated on the last named. 

Harrington's "vibration check" consists "of a single 
coil of stout spring wire, one end being attached to the 
fork, and the other to the extremity of a short lever 
which is attached to the wheel pin. The whole weight 
is thus supported upon the spring, which gives to 
every obstacle it meets with." 



212 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

The Horse] ey Safety, No. i, has a front spring fork 
arrangement. "The fork foot, instead of running 




Fleetwing Spring Frame Safety. 

direct to the axle, curves out a little above and beyond 
it ; to a stud on the end is pivoted a short link, also 




Harrington's Vibration Check. 

pivoted on the axle end. With only this connection, 
the fork would of course drop down; but to restrain 



ANTI-VIBRATION DEVICES. 213 

this, and receive the weight, there is, between this and 
a small elbow at the back of the fork, a strong coil 




Horseley Spring Fork Safety. 

spring. Any concussion on the front wheel drives it 
backward, and these springs compressing, they absorb 




Invicta Spring Frame Safety. 

the shock, and relieve the rider of a great amount of 
vibration.' " 

A pattern of the Humber is provided with a spring 



214 



WHEELS AND WHEELING. 



fork arrangement * 'under a patent shared with the 
Raleigh Cycle Company." It is shown in the illus- 
tration of the Raleigh. 

One pattern of the Premier Safeties, known as 




Nimrod Spring Frame Safety. 

Model H, is fitted with Thompson's "patent spring 
system for rigid frame Safeties." On the subject of 




Premier Spring Frame Safety. 

spring frames they say that "it is a remarkable fact 
that all passenger vehicles, from the heaviest coach to 
the lightest perambulator, have their frames supported 



ANTI-VIBRATION DEVICES. 



215 



on their axles through fiat and laminated springs, ex- 
cepting the bicycle and tricycle. The present spring 
system overcomes the difficulty hitherto experienced 
of supporting a rigid frame upon such springs. Pas- 
senger vehicles, excepting the bicycle and tricycle, 
have their springs resting direct upon their axles; this 
bicycle has its springs resting upon the tops of two 
forks, whose legs rest upon their axles; this in prac- 
tice gives the same result. The 'principle of the 
bicycle spring arrangement is identical with that of 
the locomotive engine — viz., it has side rods or forks 
extending from the axles to the springs, working 
through guides upon its frame." 

The pattern of the Quadrant known as "No. 21" is 




'SA3LEP 



Quadrant Spring Frame Safety. 



a spring frame machine "fitted back and front with 
spring forks, the back adjustable on the same princi- 



216 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

pie as our saddle spring. The standard pattern 
adjusts from nine to sixteen stone. Any rider above 
sixteen stone can have a pair of stronger coil springs 
on sending to us those on the machine. There is not 
a single joint that can work loose or rattle. The 
rider is protected at all points — hands, feet, and body 
— from vibration; not only the lesser vibration which 
is remedied by pneumatic and cushion tires, but from 
the greater vibration known as jolts, shocks, rebounds, 



Quadrant Suspension Spring Wheel. 

jumps, etc., which the air tires do not cure but in some 
cases rather aggravate.' ' 

The Quadrant Company also have a "suspension 
spring wheel" which can be fitted to almost any of 
their machines. Its two rims, "united by the ten- 
sioned coil springs, form really a deep elastic tire, only 
that the elasticity is obtained by suspension instead of 
by compression. That portion of the rider's weight 
which rests on the front fork reaches the hub of the 
front wheel; then, instead of continuing its bearing 



ANTI-VIBRATION DEVICES. 2IJ 

through the bottom spokes to the earth, as is the case 
in an ordinary wheel, it is hung upon the whole of 
the upper half circle of coil springs. When, there- 
fore, the wheel encounters any stone or rough ground, 
the shock or vibration exhausts itself in tensioning the 
half circle of springs, consequently can never reach the 
rider. The practical effect is that the vibration on an 
ordinary or rough road is not felt at all, while severe 
shocks reach the arms in the shape of gentle undula- 
tions. Additional weight i\, pounds. We apply it 
only to the front wheel of our fork-steering Safeties — 
Quadrant steering machines do not require it. Not 
suitable for driving wheels; we meet the vibration of 
driving wheels by our suspension saddle spring. 
There is no complication whatever, and nothing 
altered except the spokes. " 

The Raglan radial spring frame is so named on 
account of its action striking a radius true to the cen- 




Raglan Radial Spring Frame Safety. 

ter of the crank axle, thus preventing any irregularity 
either in tension of chain or distances between centers. 
As a consequence, the relative distances existing 



2l8 



WHEELS AND WHEELING. 



between saddle, pedals, and handles are always con- 
stant, so that no possible loss of power is sustained, 
an essential point to a successful spring frame and 
one hitherto attained in but few existing spring 
frame machines. The whole weight of the rider is 
supported on four spiral springs (two to each front and 
back wheel), so that any shock caused by the uneven- 
ness of the road is entirely absorbed. The springs are 
inclosed by two blocks, which traverse a parallel slide 




Raglan Spring Wheel. 

and which being a perfect fit render any side-shake of 
the wheel impossible. A point worthy of note is that 
the springs are easily replaced by weaker or stronger 
ones as may be required, thus insuring riders of differ- 
ent weights being equally well suited." 

The Raglan spring wheel is claimed "to be an 
entirely novel method of reducing vibration. The 
spokes are screwed into flanges somewhat larger in 
diameter than the hubs, and to these flanges are fixed 



ANTI-VIBRATION DEVICES. 



219 



four special springs, which hold the hub and conse- 
quently support the weight of rider. These springs 
are so arranged as to be capable of yielding in every 
possible direction to any shock which may be caused 
by the unevenness of the road, with the natural result 
that such shock or jar is entirely absorbed." 

The Raleigh has a spring front fork arrangement 
in common with the Humber, and the same device is 
used on the Freeman Safety. "In front of the main 




Raleigh Spring Fork. 



sleeve steering socket there is a smaller sleeve case, 
which receives a guide; a short, upright pillar above 
a lug projecting forward from the fork tops. A con- 
siderable proportion of the weight rests on springs 
within the sleeve, which permits the pilot wheel to 
give way on meeting an obstacle without the rigid 
shock being communicated to the rider." 

A pattern of the Rival is fitted with a spring frame 



220 



WHEELS AND WHEELING. 



which "is the only practical spring frame to which no 
objection can be raised. It possesses the great advan- 
tage of being adjustable as regards tension. In this 
most important respect it stands alone. This spring 
frame, for lessening vibration, is the best device that 
has been put on the market up to the present time. 
It is as superior to any other device for lessening 
vibration as the modern bicycle is to the old 'bone- 
shaker/ A rider of our 'spring frame Rival' may 
strike and run over a brick, and will hardly be con- 




Rival Spring Frame Safety. 



scious of it. A great advantage of this style spring 
frame over any other is, that the steering is not 
affected by striking an obstacle, even as large as a 
brick. The machine, with the exception of the spring 
attachment, is in all its details identical with our 
No. i Rival Safety. It will be noted, upon reference 
to the above illustration, that the main framework is 
jointed immediately below the rider. The spring, a 
strong spiral one, is especially made for this machine, 
and is connected in such a manner that it offers oppo- 



ANTI-VIBRATION DEVICES. 



221 



sition to the weight of the rider, and receives every 
shock that the machine may meet with while being 
ridden." 

The spring frame pattern of the Rover Safety is 
fitted with the Roamer spring front. Saddle, pedals, 
and handles are constant in their relation to each 
other. "The frame is like that of an ordinary Rover, 
but slightly shorter, and the steering, post, in place of 




Rover Spring Frame Safety. 



being a rigid connection with the top of the steering 
forks, ends abruptly. At the top and bottom of this 
a link is fitted some three or four inches in length. 
These links attach, one to the top of the steering 
forks, the other to the extremity of a secondary steer- 
ing post to which they are attached. A simple single- 
coil spring is placed betwen the two steering posts, 
which serves to support the parts in their proper rela- 



222 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

tion to each other, yet allows them to give to every 
contact of the front wheel with an obstacle." 

The Royal spring fork "is the only spring that can 
be applied to any wheel; the only spring that makes a 




Royal Spring Fork. 

wheel steer better; the only spring fork that won't 
pitch; the only spring that has a double action; the 
only spring with a pressure caused by levers." 

In the Rudge spring fork "the fork sides are hinged 
in the middle, and to each end an arm is attached. 
The two arms depart from their common center at 
nearly right angles, and their extremities are con- 
nected by a strong spiral spring. As a result, all the 
weight placed on the forks is borne by the springs, 
which give to every obstacle." 

One of the patterns of the Sanspareil is a full spring 
frame machine. "This latest machine entirely super- 
sedes the pneumatic tire, as the springs eliminate all 



ANTI-VIBRATION DEVICES. 



223 



vibration, and riding upon even the roughest of roads 
is thus transformed into a perfect delight/' 




Rudge Spring Fork. 

The Seabreeze spring frame Safety is built on 
unique lines, the frame being thoroughly distinctive. 




Sanspareil Spring Frame Safety. 

Curved steel rods take the place of tubes; there are 
spring front forks, and the saddle rests on a long 



224 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

spring. It is said that it "is the hygienic bicycle, and 
is most suitable for either sex. Its luggage-carrying 




Seabreeze Spring Frame Safety. 

capacity and ease over rough roads make it one of the 
best touring machines out, and it is mounted as easily 
as sitting in a chair. " 




Singer Spring Fork. 



The Singer spring fork is adapted to both Safeties 
and tricycles. 



ANTI-VIBRATION DEVICES, 225 

"The wheel is attached to the ends of two small 
levers, which are pivoted to the fork. A smaller fork 
is attached to the rear ends of the levers, and is sup- 
ported by a coil spring placed below the main tube of 
the framework. This spring is capable of being 
adjusted to suit the weight of the rider. When the 
wheel is passing over an obstacle the shock is absorbed 
by the coil spring, and by the use of a single spring 
the wheel has no tendency to be moved out of the 
center of the fork. The adjustability of the spring is 
another advantage." 

The Singer spring fork for tricycles "is a most 
effective arrangement, and it has also the advantage of 
being capable of application to any tricycle, without 




Singer Spring Fork. 

altering anything except the lower ends of the fork. 
The rigidity of the wheel and steering is not affected 
in the slightest degree, the weight is only very slightly 
increased (the wheel and tire may be lighter to com- 
pensate for the weight), it cannot possibly get out of 



226 



WHEELS AND WHEELING. 



order, and, indeed, the whole arrangement acts in the 
most satisfactory manner. The wheel is fixed in a 
kind of frame or vibrator in front of the fork, and is 




Smith's Suspension Spring. 

attached to it by pivots upon which it works. At the 
upper end of the vibrator there are two spiral springs, 
which are attached to the fork. When a shock is 




Snark Spring Frame Safety. 



communicated to the wheel, it is absorbed by these 
springs in the most unmistakable manner. That there 
is considerable vibration proceeding from the small 



ANTI- VI BRA TION DE VICES. 



227 



wheel is shown by the fact that when the spring fork 
is used, the movement of the frame and springs is 
almost continuous." 

The Steeplechaser is provided with spring front 
forks. "The springs are entirely confined to the slid- 
ing socket, which goes over the steering pillar of the 
pilot wheel; the working parts are out of sight, dust- 




Steeplechaser Spring Fork Safety. 



proof, and noiseless. A strong coil spring is placed 
over the solid head of the pillar, and the pliability of 
this can be regulated by a screw cap on the top of the 
socket sleeve. The spring slides by ball guides in 
grooves cut in the pillar, which prevents it twisting 
round, and produces a most effective spring frame, 
adding greatly to the pleasure of riding, and extending 
the life of the machine without interfering with the 



228 



WHEELS AND WHEELING. 



rigidity or even the appearance of the machine as a 
whole." 

The Stuart spring frame Safety is built with two 
equal-size wheels which have vertical forks, connected 
near their top by a horizontal backbone. A vertical 
tube, running down from the backbone, carries the 
crank axle. The rear wheel drives, and the saddle 
post is midway between crank and driving-wheel axles. 
Springs are at the head of the forks, and the handles 




Stuart Spring Frame Safety. 



are secondary, being connected with the front forks 
wheel by means of a rod. 

One pattern of the Swift Safety is provided with 
springs above both wheels. The machine "has 
been greatly improved by using one central spring at 
the back of the saddle tube. When traversing rough 
ground, the rear wheel works vertically on the hinge 
at the back of the crank shaft bearing bracket, so 
compressing the spiral spring at the seat post. The 
tension of the spring is adjustable by means of a half- 



ANTI- VtBRA T10N DE VICES. 



229 



inch mit, allowing the rider to regulate the amount of 
spring without any inconvenience. By tightening the 



H 



2 

O 

> 

w 

CD 

> 

w 

H 




hinge at the back of the crank shaft bearing bracket 
the rear wheel becomes rigid. Our adjustable spring 
fork in the front still gives universal satisfaction." 



230 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

In the Tiger spring frame "the vibration is taken up 
by means of a coil spring inclosed in a suitable case, 
and compressed by a piston, the rod of which is con- 
nected with the axle of machine. The use of these 
springs to each of the bearings meets all the require- 
ments of riders using pneumatic tires, and certainly 
prevents all vibration. It provides luxurious riding. 
It is easy and fast on roughest roads. It surmounts 
obstacles of large size with surprising ease, and without 




Tiger Spring Frame Safety. 

any check to speed with total absence of feet or hand 
vibration." 

Vale's patent Kohinoor Rocker Safety is fitted with 
their "rocker" spring fork and "is absolutely the 
strongest and most rigid machine made. The 'rocker' 
fork, which entirely absorbs vibration, is greatly 
improved. No loss of power to the rider. No sacri- 
fice of rigidity. Has a powerful and wonderfully 
improved foot brake, which answers both as rest and 
brake. A perfect luxury for downhill riding, without 
any additional weight." The fork is shown on their 
spring frame Safety. 



ANTI-VIBRATION DEVICES. 231 

The Cycledom special Velox Safety is fitted with a 
11 non-vibrating spring frame" as shown in the illus- 
tration. 

In the Wenham, vibration is reduced by the con- 
struction of the frame, for which strong anti-vibratory 
properties are claimed. "All brazed joints have been 
entirely done away with. This frame is made in two 
sections, made of one single tube without a joint from 
end to end. Starting from the top 'of the neck till it 




Vale Spring Frame Safety. 

reaches the seat pillar, where the two sections are fixed 
and bolted about two inches apart; from the seat pillar 
the tubes curve down in a semicircle past the back- 
wheel axle slots and crank bracket, where it is most 
strongly stayed by two tubes placed transversely top 
and bottom, from these back to lower part of neck. 
Upon looking at the illustration it will be seen that 
this frame combines all the advantages of the double 



23* WHEELS ANb W&EELW&. 

diamond frame (the best, except this, known) with 
none of its disadvantages. The wheels are so placed 




Velox Spring Frame Safety. 

on the frame that the shocks from the road do not 
reach the frame in a vertically direct manner, but in 




Wenham Duplex Frame. 



the center of a strong double semicircle, which acts as 
a most powerful spring, without disturbing the rigidity 
of the frame or tread in the least." 



ANTE VIBRA TION DE VICES, 



233 



In the Weston spring frame Safety "the fork of the 
rear wheel is carried forward some distance, and has 
two 1 "~gs or projections extending below the edge of 
the fo.k tubes; pivots pass through these, and screw into 
a rocking collar, through which slides the seatpillar. 
Above this there is a fixed collar on the pillar, and 
between a coil spring; from the upper collar a rigid 
guide rod passes through a boss on the lower collar, 
both being attached to the machine forks. The entire 




Weston Spring Frame Safety. 



weight rests on the coil spring, which therefore takes 
up any vibration, and produces a very easy, seat. The 
front part of the machine is also isolated by a novel 
method. The steering socket and handle bar are con- 
nected with the forks, which curve out, by two curled 
Arab-like springs. In order to preserve stability, there 
is also a rigid connection, hinged to give play to the 
springs. Both springs answer very well." 

The Whippet spring frame is original in character 
and * 'one of the most successful forms of spring frames, 



234 



WHEELS AND WHEELING, 



and has, indeed, given rise to the introduction of 
them all. 

"In general appearance the machine would be 
described as a single frame with two front upper stays; 
the higher of these forms a rigid connection between 
the part of the steering pillar below the handle bar 
and the top of the seat-pillar ; the lower stay is 
attached by a link to the backbone, and also holds the 
seat pillar in position, but permits it to move up and 




Whippet Spring Frame Safety. 



down in the head of the rear forks. At the foot, the 
j_ crank bracket is supported in the center by a very 
strong coil spring, held by an adjustable screw at the 
top to a lug below the backbone. The whole weight 
rests on this spring, but is unaffected by the pedal 
action; the two rear stays are pivoted on the axle, so 
as to move with the spring action, but at the same 
time keep the pedals at the same distance, and per- 
fectly rigid. In order that the handle bar may respond 
to the movements of the suspended portion, the steer- 



ANTI-VIBRATION* DEVICES. 



*35 



ing pillar is divided, and joined by flat, jointed links 
which permit the handles to dip and rise again; they 
do not interfere with the steering, and equal com- 
mand is obtained over the pilot wheel, whatever the 
position of the movable parts." 

A device to annihilate vibration, applicable to the 
steering wheel of a Safety, or the rear wheel of an 
ordinary, is called the Will-o'-the-Wisp Anti-Vibra- 




Will-o'-the-Wisp Anti-vibrator. 



tor. It "is a single coil of stout steel wire arranged 
as in the annexed illustration. The fork ends attach 
to one arm of a lever, and rest upon the spring. A 
side arm projects upward from the lever which is 
attached to the wheel pin, and bears at its top a but- 
ton or pad of rubber against which the fork brings up 
should the spring be greater than usual. The springs 
on each side are kept stiff and firm by a continuation 
or fork of strong wire, which passes round at the back 
of the wheel and unites them." 



2 3 6 



WHEELS AND WHEELING. 



The patent Zulu rim is similar in principle to the Boaz 
and Quadrant already shown. In this case the insu- 




Zulu Anti-vibration Wheel. 



lating arrangement placed between the two rims is 
composed of spiral springs. 



PNEUMATIC AND CUSHION TIRES. 

ONE of the most curious facts connected with the 
development of cycling is that nearly fifteen years' 
experience with the wheel was needed to teach 
wheelmen the real significance and full value of the 
tire. For many years, the importance of its function 
was not half realized ; the vibration produced was 
disregarded; and its effect was practically unknown. 
Even more than this, in order to save weight, the size 
of the tire was constantly reduced, and finally came to 
be, on light roadsters, that of a mere string — about 
| or \ inch in diameter. Such small sizes possessed 
a minimum of cushioning properties, and, conse- 
quently, were of very little value as annihilators of vibra- 
tion. It was not until apostles of anti-vibration had 
arisen that the matter began to attract general atten- 
tion. Various spring devices were introduced into the 
frames of machines, some with good results, and gen- 
erally more popular here than abroad. 
r* But it was not until 1890 that the tire question was 
discovered to be one of the first magnitude. During 
1889 the "pneumatic" tire had been introduced to the 
public ; it had proved itself to be far faster than the 
solid — or, to be more accurate, it made it possible for 
its rider to be far faster than he was on a solid tire, 
and much more comfortable as well. But it added 
materially to the cost of a wheel, and was, at the start, 

237 



238 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

very liable to puncture and leakage. This led to a 
general attempt to produce a tire that would be as fast 
and comfortable as the pneumatic, but more reliable, 
and also less expensive. The result was the "cush- 
ion," which is usually a rubber tire of i| inches, with 
perhaps a J-inch hollow core. The cushion proved 
to have less resilience than the pneumatic, and conse- 
quently was not so fast or comfortable; but it cost 
less, was more reliable, and far superior to the small 
solid in every way. 

Both pneumatics and cushions increase the weight 
of a machine over one with a small solid tire, but 
riders at last learned that reduction of weight does not 
necessarily mean increase of speed. Speculations 
were many as to what did make the rider of either of 
these types faster than he was on a solid, and men 
were slow to comprehend that it was due simply to the 
reduction of vibration. Reduction of vibration means 
large saving in nervous energy, and that in turn allows 
the rider to increase and maintain his speed. The 
merely muscular exertion required to propel bicycles 
shod with tires of different kinds — other things, such 
as weight and bearings, being equal — does not differ 
materially, but the difference in the amount of nervous 
energy expended is very great, especially when riding 
at high speed, or over rough roads. 

The views of R. J. Mecredy, editor of the Irish 
Cyclist, on the features of a perfect tire, are interest- 
ing. Mr. Mecredy has been familar with the pneu- 
matic since its introduction, and was almost the 
first racing man to acqurire fame on it. He says of a 
perfect tire: "1. It will be speedy, the sides will be 



PNEUMATIC AND CUSHION TIRES. 239 

thin and flexible, and even the head will not have 
much substance in it. 2. It will be comfortable, in 
other words, it will set on a flat or practically flat rim, 
thus, rendering the whole of the tire available for 
cushioning purposes, and it will be flexible and yield- 
ing. 3. It will be comparatively light. 4. It will 
be affixed to the rim in a simple and effective manner. 
5. It will be self-healing in all ordinary cases of 
puncture. 6. It will be capable of easy and rapid 
repair, should by any chance a gash be made too seri- 
ous for self-healing properties of the tire to effectively 
close. 7. Repairs will be permanent. In dealing 
with this question it must be borne in mind that com- 
pressed air is an exceedingly difficult agent to manage, 
and nothing but prolonged practical experience will 
guarantee the efficiency of any particular method of 
confining it. Almost any air tire will work well for a 
short period; many will behave excellently for months, 
but nothing less than a season's use will demonstrate 
beyond yea or nay the practicability of any particular 
form of air tire." 

Taking up the tires in alphabetical order, the first 
one is the Beer Spongy tire, which, it is claimed, 
will not split from within; is light and elastic; does 
not puncture, and can be made to fit existing rims. 
"In this invention a large hole is made in the tire, 
slightly eccentric to its outer diameter, and is then 
filled with spongy rubber such as is occasionally em- 
ployed for flesh-rubbers and similar toilet articles. 
Its elasticity is very considerable, its lightness is pro- 
nounced, it is next to impossible for it to get cut by 
the rim, and, as a matter of fact, it is a modified form 



24© WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

of pneumatic; that is to say, in the process of manu- 
facture, the spongy rubber assumes the shape of cells, 
all of which are charged with air at normal pressure, 




Beer Spongy Cushion Tire. 

and this air is being continually compressed at the 
point of contact.' ' 

The Bidwell [Thomas] tire is shown in the follow- 
ing cuts. "The air tube is the one part of a pneu- 
matic tire that causes the most trouble, and has been 
the subject of considerable experimenting. To confine 
and retain air under pressure in a rubber tube, and 
guarantee the tube against bursting, was the object 
sought and accomplished. Our air tube is constructed 
of pure Para gum, and treated with a compound that 
closes all the 'blow' holes which exist in rubber, and 
which cause the leakage in most pneumatic tires. 
We guarantee our air tube against bursting and leakage 
of any kind not caused by puncture through the outside 
covering. The non-expansible tube is next in impor- 
tance, as it protects the air tube and prevents the 
expansion of the rubber tube to a bursting point. In 



PNEUMATIC AND CUSHION TIRES. 241 

all other pneumatic tires this tube is made from two 
pieces of linen canvas, and consequently the fabric 
tube has a seam on each side. It is the parting of 
this seam that generally causes the bursting and col- 
lapse of the air tube. In the Bidwell [Thomas] tire, 
the non-expansible tube is made seamless to an exact 
diameter and by a machine designed and constructed 
especially for the purpose. In almost all pneumatic 
tires the valve is a crude affair, composed of a simple 
rubber tube cemented to the air tube by ordinary 
rubber cement. It is well known that a proper joint 
cannot be made in this way, and as a result almost all 
tires leak at the junction of the air tube and valve. 
Our valve is constructed of brass, is automatic, 
admitting the air and closing at each stroke of the 
pump, and is vulcanized to the air tube by the rubber- 
makers while making the tube; thus the valve actually 
becomes by the vulcanizing process a part of the air 
tube, rendering leaks about its junction impossible. 

"Another feature we claim is the very important one 
of deflating the tire. With the ordinary valve it is 
impossible to deflate the tire except by puncturing the 
air tube. With our valve, by simply unscrewing the 
inside cap the air is permitted to escape, thus deflating 
the tire, and greatly facilitating any repairs that may 
be necessary, at the same time rendering the tires safe 
for storage or shipping. The outside cover is of pure 
Para gum with sufficient compound to render it strong 
and pliable. Our cover is molded under hydraulic 
pressure, and reinforced on its inner surface by an 
elastic fabric or braid. This braid will allow the 
cover to stretch lengthwise, but not sidewise, and, like 



242 



WHEELS AND WHEELING. 



the seamless tube, is made on especially designed ma- 
chines for our use. 

"Cut No. i shows construction of the Bid well 
[Thomas] tire, each separate part lettered to facilitate 
the explanation or for convenience in ordering parts. 
This tire is built up as follows: Starting at the rim of 




Cut. No. i.— Bidwell Pneumatic Tire. 



wheel (H) the canvas strip (F) is cemented smoothly 
to rim, entirely covering the rim. The rubber air tube 
[A) which has been encased in the seamless non- 
expansible linen jacket (£), to which have been sewn 
linen flaps or wings (CC), is next put on and the flaps 
firmly cemented beneath the rim. An extra rein- 



PNEUMATIC AND CUSHION TIRES. 243 

forcing strip of linen (D-D), to prevent cutting at the 
edge of the rim, and to prevent slipping, is then 
cemented to the seamless jacket (B) passing under 
the rim, as shown in Cut 2. The rubber wearing shoe 
(E) is put on over all, firmly cemented over the rim, 
and a strip of black rubber friction cloth secured on 




Cut No. 2. — Cross Section and Valve. 



the inside of the rim covering the edge of the shoe 
(E) to protect the inner construction against moisture 
and dirt. The valve is fully shown in Cut No. 3. 

"This cut represents exact size of valve. It is very 
simple, easy to adjust, and incapable of getting out of 
repair. No. 1 is the base, which is vulcanized into 
inside air tube. No. 2, deflating cap. No. 3, cover 



244 



WHEELS AND WHEELING. 



cap. No. 4, hard rubber valve seat. No. 5, soft 
rubber valve cover and air check. To inflate, unscrew 
cover cap and apply pump. To deflate, unscrew 
No. 2, or deflating cap, and remove plug. See that 
caps are firmly secured after inflating. 

" Should your tire at any time deflate without seem- 
ing cause, remove deflating cap (No. 2), and taking 
out hard rubber plug (No. 4), remove the soft rubber 




Cut No. 3. 



jacket or air check (No. 5) and apply new jacket, first 
moistening slightly the hard rubber plug (No. 4), to 
facilitate application. . Any parts of valves Nos. 2, 3, 
4, and 5 can be obtained from any bicycle manu- 
facturer or dealer, or direct from us on application. 

"Should anything happen to your tire, do not be 
under the impression that you must take it or send it 
to a repair shop. You can easily fix it yourself. A 
little care and patience until you understand the con- 
struction is all you want. It will give you confidence 
and convince you that your tire is as stable as any 
other part of your wheel. See that the tire is kept 



PNEUMATIC AND CUSHION TIRES. 245 

well inflated, and never ride it when at all deflated. 
Therein lies the whole secret of the long life of the 
tire and almost entire freedom from trouble — observe 
this rule and your Bidwell [Thomas] pneumatic tire 
will be 'a thing of comfort' and 'a joy forever/ 

"There is little liability of any trouble except a pos- 
sible puncture, which is an exceedingly rare occurrence, 
owing to materials used and method of construction. 
Should tire be punctured, note the following: It is 
almost always possible to easily locate puncture by cut 
in outside shoe. When this is impossible inflate tire as 
much as possible, revolve wheel slowly in shallow basin 
of water, and at point of puncture slight bubbles will 
appear on surface of water. When located, deflate 
tire, break loose the inside strip of friction cloth for a 
space of about 12 inches. Do the same with outside 
shoe. Turn that part of shoe over edge of rim. Cut 
a -f- in canvas jacket. Clean the rubber tube at point 
punctured. Cement a small round patch of rubber 
over puncture, let it dry fifteen minutes, then inflate 
lightly to enable you to cement a small square of 
canvas to canvas jacket where cut. Moisten the edge 
of the shoe with cement. Spring it back into place, 
smooth the friction cloth also into place, properly 
inflate, mount your wheel, and go ahead. Materials 
for these slight repairs go with each set of tires. Also 
circular giving directions how to repair — and very few 
of you will ever have use for it." 

The Bolte cushion tire differs from the ordinary 
pattern of cushions in having a series of transverse 
holes instead of one hole running throughout the 
length of the tire. Its makers claim for it^'that the 



246 



WHEELS AND WHEELING. 



improved Bolte cushion tire has more resiliency than 
any other cushion made, whether applied to an 
ordinary solid tire rim or to the regular i^- or i|- 
inch rim. Instead of running the hole longitudinally 
through the tire as heretofore (hose-pipe fashion) the 
holes are put in transversely about \ inch apart, the 
, elastic partition between giving it both strength and 
softness. We find that it does away with any possi- 
bility of cutting through to the inner hole, which 
would of course happen at times when the tubular tire 




Bolte Cushion Tire. 

was used. Although these tires were first made to 
apply to old solid-tired wheels only, we are now able 
to furnish them in regular form for ordinary cushion 
rims. However, as every mechanic knows, the smaller 
rims make much more rigid and lighter wheel; and, as 
the best qualities of our improved cushion tire are 
brought out by using the smaller rim, we strongly 
advise them even in new machines." 

The Bolte pneumatic tire claims that "the leading 
feature is the fact that there is no cloth or canvas 
cemented around the inside of the rim, but the metal 






PNEUMATIC AND CUSHION TIRES. 247 

of the rim is exposed the same as on any solid or 
cushion tire machine. The Bolte pneumatic has no 
inner expansible tube; the tire is cemented the same 
as any cushion, or solid, the linen duck which forms 
the principal feature of the main tube being vulcan- 
ized in layers around a \ inch thick inner coating of 
rubber. The thickness of the tire at the tread (refer- 
ring to the cut) is not so great as on the ordinary 




pneumatic, but in place of a thick body of rubber the 
Indestructible has five thicknesses of twilled linen 
duck wrapped in such a way as to bring the laps over 
each other at the tread, where the puncture is liable to 
occur, and making punctures practically impossible. 
"In case of puncture, the laps are pulled off from the 
inner tube in the same manner as they were put on 
before being vulcanized, until the last layer of linen, 
which is one continuous strip running around next to 



248 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

the inner tube, is reached. This linen strip must 
not be removed from the inner tube to which it is 
securely vulcanized, but in case of puncture, which 
is almost impossible, a small triangular opening is 
made by cutting two slits one-half inch each in length 
at right angles with each other directly over the 
puncture, as shown in cut, care being taken not to cut 
through the inner rubber covering. The lip can then 
easily be pulled off and a patch of gum rubber applied 




Bolte Pneumatic Tire. 

to the exposed puncture in the usual way, and the laps 
cemented back in place. The valves, which are im- 
pervious against leaks and the other troubles that have 
beset pneumatic tire machines, are so constructed that 
the air may be released instantly after unscrewing the 
cap, which is kept screwed down against the hard rub- 
ber seat within. 

" Its capacity for holding air seems to be without 



PNEUMATIC AND CUSHION TIRES. 249 

limit. They are making these tires in three different 
sizes, viz., 2 inch for road use, if for light roadsters, 
and if for racing machines. The company claim 
they are considerably lighter in weight than any 
other pneumatic tires of the same class. Their 
patents cover not only the construction of their tires, 
but the process of manufacture as well." 

The Boothroyd is one of the best known 
pneumatics. Its inventor says " the essentials of a 
pneumatic tire are : rubber to retain the air, and 
canvas to withstand the strain of air under great 
pressure. In the Boothroyd these materials are" all 
vulcanized together, there being practically three 
tubes of rubber, supported and divided by 2-ply of 
canvas. The walls of roadster tire are about \ inch 
thick. Nothing but the best Para rubber is used. 
The advantages of the tire are : its cheapness, dura- 
bility, ease of affixing to ordinary rims, small liability 
to puncture, and, above all, ease of repair from the 
outside, owing to the walls being all in one piece. In 
regard to speed, I believe it is faster than any other 
form of. pneumatic, and this opinion has been indorsed 
by some of the most prominent riders in England, and 
the already large number of fine rides made on this tire 
during the short time it has been before the public, 
goes far to prove this point. 

u The tires are made \\ inch, i^inch, if inch, and 2 
inches outside diameter, or even larger to special order. 
The \\ inch may be used to replace i^-inch cushion 
tires, and riders will do well to try them, as the cost 
is not great. But for new machines, I would not rec- 
ommend less than i| inch, while if inch has so far 



250 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

been the favorite for Safeties. One and one-half inch, 
is, I think, quite large enough for ordinaries. I do not 
think 2 inch need be used except for very bad roads. 

" The rims are the usual cushion U or hollow, but 
should be the proper section for the tire, i.e., a rim for if 
inch tire should have if-inch radius, so that the tire 
fills it properly when inflated. The rims should not be 
more than \ inch deep, and may be used much lighter 
than for cushion tires. The spoke-heads should be 
sunk level with the surface, so as to leave no projec- 
tion to cut the tire. They should be of such a size 
that the tire will go in, before inflating, with hardly 
any stretch. Before placing the tire in the rim, coat 
the rim lightly with good cement. I find the best 
way of doing this is to get the rim rather hot and 
paint the cement in from the stick instead of first 
melting the cement and pouring in. By the former 
means you get an even and thin coating. Lay the tire 
in place and inflate, but not too tightly. Then warm 
the rim and the tire will be perfectly secure so long 
as it is inflated. Take care that the nozzle is in right 
position, and not subject to any strain or cutting 
tendency from edge of rim. While cementing, it is a 
good plan to wrap tape round rim and joint, so as to 
keep the nozzle in its proper place until cemented. 

" The valve is very simple, and will be readily under- 
stood if the cap is unscrewed. It is really a tap, and 
there is no non-return valve in the tire. To inflate 
the tire, screw the small piece at the end of inflator 
tube tightly into hole in valve, then unscrew slightly 
the cap of valve. The air can now enter the tire. 
When fully inflated, screw up the cap tightly before 



PNEUMATIC A XD CUSHION I IRES. 251 

removing the tube, holding the upper milled edge of 
valv not to put strain on the nozzle. If you 

oect that the valve leaks, you can test this very 
readily by immersing in a wineglassful of water, and 
watching for a minute or so. If it should leak at all, 
the chances are that a little grit has got between the 
leather washer in valve, and the flat inner end of cap. 
Occasionally it happens that a little ;. alk 

from inside the tire gets into the upper end of nozzle and 
prevents the air entering freely. In this case u 
the cap, and carefully poke a piece of wire through 
valve to clean it. 

" The inflator is als mple, and the construc- 

tion will be easily understood if the parts are unscrewed. 
The most important parts are the leather washer or 
plunger, and the non-return valve in small end. If 
the former gets out of order, a lunger 

"own without compressing the air, a few 
drops of oil on the leather will often set it right. At 
nee an put in another wa remaker 

will do this. It she - be too thick, as it has 

serve a double purpose, and collapse when plunge: 
withdrawn, v .o alk v the air to get behind it. It is 
absoluv y that the non-return valve should 

>rk properly or the tire cannot be inflated at all. 
Fortunately, it mple that it can be repaired in 

a few minutes by unscrewing the nozzle of inflator 
and ty hex piece of oiled silk or similar material 

er the hole. The non-return valve is out of order if, 
after attaching the inflator v .o an inflated tire, the 
plunger flies backward quickly, thus showing that 
air is allowed to escape om the tire. 



25 2 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

" Perhaps the most important question for the rider 
is how to repair the tire temporarily. The first thing 
to do, when you find the tire deflated, is to discover 
the cause, which is generally a cut or puncture. If 
valve is all right, inflate tire fully and look carefully 
all round the wheel. If the puncture is at all a serious 
one, you will be able to see it, or will hear the air 
escaping, and so locate it readily, but if there is any 
difficulty in finding the spot, get a little water and 
rub the tire all round with a very wet rag, then spin 
the wheel round and pour a glassful of water on it; 
then look carefully, and you will see the air bubbles. 
Having found the puncture, deflate the tire, clean off 
the place with a knife and dry it as far as possible, 
clean the dirt out of puncture, and if the hole is large 
enough, give it a good dose of solution right through ; 
spread a good coat of solution over the surrounding 
part and on the binder with your finger, and then tie 
the binder tightly round the rim. Now inflate the tire, 
and the cut part will be pressed tightly up against the 
binder, and if there is any escape it will be so slight 
as not to prevent riding 20 to 50 miles, and perhaps 
inflating every 10 or 15 miles, and perhaps not need- 
ing this. If you should be without the binder, the 
same result may be attained by using a roll of common 
linen tape \ inch to |- inch wide. Tie one end round a 
spoke and wrap round the part for about three inches 
long with several layers of tape, afterward fastening off 
the other end round a spoke. Use solution on every 
layer if you have it, but if not, you can make tire ap- 
proximately air-tight without any solution. 

" The above does very well for temporary repair, 



PNEUMATIC A AW CUSHION TIRES. 253 

but something neater and more durable is wanted to 
make a good job, Small punctures can generally be 
repaired effectually and permanently by injecting a 
good dose of rather thick solution. I have had a 
small syringe made for this purpose, but the solution 
can be poked through with a piece of wire or some- 
thing of the kind. Take care to line the hole and to 
get a good quantity right through. Leave overnight 
before inflating, and you will generally find it perfectly 
sound. 

" The plug repair seems, however, to be the most 
satisfactory, and is so simple that it may even be done 
on the road. According to the size of puncture, take 
the large or small cutter (the small one always if cut 
is not too large), inflate the tire (unless cut is too bad 
to allow of this), wet it and press the sharp end lightly 
on the rubber, and twist to and fro or round and round 
with the finger and thumb, using plenty of water. 
In a few minutes a clean hole will be made through 
the tire. It is wonderfully easy to make a clean hole 
in this way, but in order to avoid the chance of spoil- 
ing the tire, I would recommend a beginner to first 
experiment on a bit of rubber. The edge of cutter 
should be kept very sharp, and care should be taken 
not to force the cutter, especially when it is nearly 
through. Dry the parts thoroughly, and clean sides 
of the hole and the plug with benzoline. After allow- 
ing the benzoline time to dry, coat the sides of hole 
and the plug with solution, and give it time to dry 
thoroughly. Then give another coat to both, and in- 
sert the plug at once, small end first, and push it in, 
leaving about \ inch projecting outside. Leave it as 



254 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

long a time as convenient, and you may then cut off 
the projecting end and inflate. If you want to use 
quickly, it is a good precaution to tie round with tape 
at first. If a large plug is used, it is sometimes ad- 
visable to put a patch over it, in order to make doubly 
sure, but so far this method has been very satisfac- 
tory. 

" I am often asked whether the tire should be in- 
flated very tightly, and whether it should be deflated 
when not in use. With regard to the former, my im- 
pression is that the degree of hardness must be the 
matter of experiment with each individual rider. On 
very good roads I think you can hardly have the tire 
too tight, but on bumpy macadam it is better a little 
softer. When going at high speed a little flabbiness 
in the tire is not felt so much as when going slow. 
As a general rule, I should say it is better to err on 
the side of having it too tight than the other way. I 
don't think it is necessary to deflate when not in use. 
No doubt this is theoretically better for the tire, but 
experience does not seem to show that it is required. 

" Care should be taken not to expose a tightly in- 
flated tire to the heat of the sun on a hot day, or to 
that of a very warm room in cold weather. A little 
air can be let out in a moment by unscrewing the 
valve cap. Don't ride with a really flabby tire, or it 
will get cut by rim or otherwise injured. Keep an 
eye to the cementing, the same as with a cushion tire. 
There is very little trouble from this cause, as the 
pressure of the air holds the tire almost sufficiently 
without cement. Still it is best to see that cementing 
is good, especially near the nozzle. If you have oc- 




PNEUMATIC AND CUSHION TIRES. 255 

casion to take out a tire, deflate it and warm the rim 
slightly a good distance from nozzle. The tire can 
then be pulled out without warming all round." 

The new patent Buffer cushion tire has two small 
holes and is especially designed to prevent any possi- 
bility of having the tire cut by the rim. It is claimed 
that "at last there is a cushion tire on 
the market that really cannot be cut by 
rim. The new patent Buffer cushion 
tire, while possessing all the elastic and 
cushion properties of the best cushion 
tires, has, in addition, the one advantage 
to make such tires a complete success — cushion Tire 
it will not cut on rim. Owing to the 
position and peculiar construction of the holes, any 
spread or squash that takes place, from direct or side 
pressure (such as turning corners), is confined to that 
part of tire which is w T ell below the edge of rim, thus 
preventing any cutting whatever." 

The Cellular tire is something quite out of the 
usual run. It is " composed of seven small tubes of rub- 
ber which, in their soft state, are forced together into 
a mold, and surrounded by an outer covering or tube 
of rubber. As they are forced into the mold, air is 
forced into the tubes until a pressure of three atmos- 
pheres is obtained, and the tubes are closed at inter- 
vals, thus causing the tire to be filled with a number 
of cells, each filled with air at a pressure of three at- 
mospheres. The complete tire makes a very soft 
whole." 

It is also said that the cells are " of uniform size, f of 
an inch in length and -^ of an inch in diameter, 



256 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

and in number about 50 to each foot of tire. The 
advantages claimed are that an inflated pneumatic 
tire is obtained without the trouble of inflation, and 
consequently is non-puncturable. ,, 

The advantages claimed for it are that " a firmly 
inflated pneumatic tire is obtained, which does not 
require inflation, and cannot collapse by being punc- 
tured ; the air cells, charged under considerable pres- 
sure, in combination with rubber, giving an increased 
elasticity, render these tires less liable to cut than any 
tire in existence ; also reduce vibration to nil; they 




Cellular Pneumatic Tire. 

may be punctured in numerous places without mate- 
rially affecting the running of the tire ; the weight is al- 
ways suspended on air, with the rims well off theground, 
as the compressed air cannot be forced from its posi- 
tion ; they have been tested under a variety of condi- 
tions, and have met every requirement ; they run easily 
over wet, muddy, or sandy roads, or up hill, and are 
not liable to slip ; they may be fitted to any machine 
with i|-inch or i^-inch rims, and are twenty per cent. 
lighter than ordinary cushion or pneumatic tires." 
The Christian cushion tire consists of the large 



PNEUMATIC AND CUSHION TIRES. 



257 



principal tire A, and two small subsidiary tires B B. 
" In appearance it is similar to ordinary tires, but 
underlying the visible one are two small rubbers in 
either side of the rim upon which the outer one rests 
when the machine is in motion, thereby causing the 
cushion to minimize vibration. In reality this idea 
might be called a treble tire, seeing that three distinct 
rubbers are used. A small ordinary, tire is employed 
for the outer and main wear, which naturally necessi- 




Christian Cushion Tire. 



tates a saving in weight, and while the rim is no larger 
than that usually used for cushion tires, it contains 
the small rubbers, and still has enough space for 
cushioning. The running, we are told, is extremely 
steady, and no retardation in the steering of the safety 
is perceptible/' 

The great advantage claimed for the Clincher 
pneumatic tire and rim " is that no cement is required 
in fixing them, and they are consequently able to be 
separated from each other at any time. The tire 



258 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

consists of two parts, viz., the outer band, and the 
inner tube, which is blown up by an inflator. The 
action of inflating the tube ' clinches' the band to the 
rim. When the tube is deflated (which may be easily 
accomplished at any time by pressing the head of a 
pin down the mouth of the valve in order to release 
the air), both band and tube are easily removable from 
the rim, an advantage which may be appreciated for 
the convenience of adjusting loose or broken spokes. 
The insertion of cloth in both band and tube reduces 
the chances of puncture by stones, etc., to a minimum. 
The valve employed for inflating the tube is made 
with a check action of our special invention, and is so 
simple in construction that it is impossible with fair 
usage to get out of order. In cases of accident, the 
advantage of being able to replace either band or tube, 
together or separately, without sending the wheels 
back to the makers,, will be readily recognized. The 
outer band is, we consider, practically indestructible, 
as, judging from recent trials, it is not nearly so liable 
to be cut by stones as its solid rival, there being less 
resistance to cut against. By having both wheels the 
same diameter and width, the bands and tubes be- 
come interchangeable ; thus the rider, by carrying a 
spare tube, can make himself practically independent 
of accident by puncture. 

" The inner tube should first be placed in the rim 
and then inflated ; the band should then be placed 
over the tube, care being taken that no undue stretch 
or gathering takes place at any part. This is very 
important, as it insures equal distribution of the tube 
and band around the circumference of the wheel. 



PNEUMATIC AND CUSHION TIRES. 259 

The tube should then be deflated, after which the 
edges of the band can be tucked in at the sides of the 
rim, taking care that they are well pressed down all 
around to the base of the rim. After having got 
everything into position, it now only remains to finally 
inflate the tube, and while doing so it is important 
that the rim and tire be firmly grasped at the valve 
hole so as to insure that portion of the tire being 




Clincher Pneumatic Tire. 



equally i clinched/ This is a very particular point, as, 
if it is not attended to, the action of inflating tends to 
drive that portion of the band and tube away from the 
rim, and an uneven ' clinch ' is the result. The pro- 
cess of inflation is rendered much easier by seeing 
that the screw at the end of the inflator is fairly 
screwed into the mouth of the valve. 

"The tire should always be kept fully inflated and 
blown up as hard as possible, as if it is ridden deflated 



260 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

or too soft, the tube has a tendency to run around 
the rim, thereby straining or cutting off the valve tube. 
The harder the tyre is pumped the stronger it * clinches.' 
There is not the slightest fear of its bursting. 
The valve tube should point to the center of the 
wheel, any slanting deviation indicating that the tube 
is slack and requiring adjusting and reinflation. 
Care should be taken to leave no air between the band 
and the tube, the presence of which can be detected 
by tapping the outside band with the finger. Such a 
discovery indicates that the band and tube are not 
evenly placed in the rim, and that they are unduly 
stretched at some point. The valve cap should be 
firmly screwed down, as it is this that really keeps the 
tube air-tight, the check valve being merely of use 
during the process of inflating. If any leak occurs it 
will either be at the valve or trie tube. In the former 
it may be detected by holding a glass of water in such 
a position that the valve is immersed, when, if any leak 
exists, bubbles will appear on the surface of the water. 
A new washer will generally cure this complaint, and 
if this measure does not prove effective, some grit will 
likely have got into the valve, and if such cannot be 
shaken out, the valve must be removed from the tube. 
If the leak is not in the valve it is in the tube. Take 
it from the rim, and after blowing it up as hard as 
possible, immerse in water (a bath is a convenient 
place), when the bubbles will at once show where the 
leak is, and a repair can be effected in the usual 
manner." 

The Closure pneumatic tire is said to be punc- 
ture-proof, or rather to be practically in no danger of 



PNEUMATIC AND CUSHION TIRES. 



261 



leaking even when punctured. " The patent lining of 
this tire has the property of automatically closing up 
after being punctured, thus avoiding the necessity of re- 
pairing and patching, the widespread objection to which 



VfotVE 



TO sPOKB 




Closure Pneumatic Tire. 

operation has bid fair to put the pneumatic tire out of 
the market, in spite of the greater speed and comfort 
obtained from this type of tire. Closure tires re- 
main tight with hundreds of punctures in all parts of 
the tire/' 

The Columbia pneumatic tire has "a winning 
feature " in " its combination of strength and durabil- 
ity with great resilience and simplicity for the user. 
The complete and perfect air tube is there, with the 



262 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

canvas protector, and the tread ; each part as carefully 
prepared for its respective purpose as in any wrapped 
tire. 

" The combination of these in such a way that each 
will, support and aid the others, without damaging 
them, the building together so that every good point 
of other types will be secured without their objection- 
able features, and with all the unmistakable advantages 
of a built-up one-piece tire — this is where patience, 
skill, and experience have been called for and unstint- 
ingly given. Our selection of this type of tire was 
made after careful inspection, study, and tests of all 
varieties obtainable, and it was determined upon by 
the unanimous vote of our board of experts. With our 
improvements upon the original, and as the result of all 
the effort we have devoted to it, we are making to day 
the simplest and best pneumatic tire that we know of ; 
a tire that looks well, rides well, and wears well; that is 
easily kept in order and readily repaired when neces- 
sary. It is the only type admitting of an effective 
temporary repair with tire tape, and the valve is corre- 
spondingly simple and satisfactory. 

" We have based this upon the Boothroyd tire, of 
England, as our general type, and have improved up- 
on it very much, as we took the English type cushion 
tire a year ago and improved upon that. We con- 
struct it with a complete and perfectly air-tight tube 
fully equal in all respects to the air tubes of the wrapped 
tires. Upon this we build the canvas protector, 
and then the tread of somewhat tougher and stronger 
rubber than the air tube, vulcanizing the whole to- 
gether in an endless, seamless tire, which we place 



PNEUMATIC AND CUSHION TIRES. 



263 



our full confidence on as the simplest tire in use, the 
neatest in appearance, least liable to get out of order, 
and the easiest to repair effectually, should it require 
it at any time. This type is the only one that in case 




Columbia Pneumatic Tire. 



of puncture can be ridden until a convenient time for 
repairs, by simply winding the punctured part with 
adhesive tape. Under our special methods of manu- 
facturing it, which have been determined as the result 



264 



WHEELS AND WHEELING. 



of several months' experiment and experience, we 
have brought it very far in advance of its prototype, 
and while it is as difficult and expensive for us to 
make as any other practical tire would be, we think 
that it will afford a saving in the long run over any 
other pneumatic tire to whoever uses it. 

" We have devised a valve which is of correspond- 
ingly simple and effective construction. We believe 
that we have had more experience with the general 
subject of pneumatic tires than any other of the large 
manufacturers of this country, and we have never felt 
more confident than we do to-day that we have made 
the right choice." 

The Combination pneumatic tire is one which is 
susceptible of use even after it has been deflated by 




Combination Pneumatic Tire. 



a puncture or cut. As shown in the illustration, " this is 
accomplished by the insertion of a peculiar cotton 



PNEUMATIC AND CUSHION TIRES. 



265 



fabric, which is chemically treated, so as to prevent it 
from packing." 

The Preston Davies pneumatic tire " is light and 
resilient. No solutioning or sewing is said to be re- 
quired for repairing, and the canvas tube is dispensed 
with. It is also said to be very strong. Recognizing 
the necessity of freedom in the canvas cover, the arch is 
lined with ribbon laid like the base of a Venetian blind, 



y**te« •«,«■■ 




Davies Pneumatic Tire. 



thus securing the most absolute freedom and elasticity 
in movement. The air tube is simply wrapped up 
in two folds of soft sheepskin, these folds being 
otherwise unfixed, while the cover is fixed by con- 
tinuous wires, which go over certain small projections 
in the rim when inflated. This tire effectually ex- 
cludes all wet and grit, and is very noticeable for its 
resilience and bounce ; a 30 x 2 inch racing tire will 



266 



WHEELS AND WHEELING. 



weight iilbs. The design throughout is decidedly 
clever and effective." 

The Dorr pneumatic tire is said to have "as- 
tonished manufacturers and riders alike. Its sim- 
plicity is marvelous, combining all the good qualities, 
and none of the defects of other pneumatics." It is 
said to be the best : " i. Because it can be applied 
to any style of rim, and especially the crescent or 
hollow rim, which is the best suited for the Dunlop 
or Thomas Tires. 2. It requires no cement or fabric 
to hold this tire on the rim. 3. It shows the entire 




Dorr Pneumatic Tire. 



surface of the rim of wheel fully japanned. 4. It 
is held on the rim by a rubber pad and the inner tube 
when inflated. 5. It can be entirely detached from 
the rim in one-half minute. 6. It can be placed on 
the rim and inflated, ready to ride, in one minute. 
7. Because it is constructed on strictly scientific prin- 
ciples. 8. Because it has a pad which protects the 
tire from puncturing by the rim when ridden over 
sharp obstacles. 9. Because no tire yet produced 
equals its resiliency. 10. Because the pad protects 
the tire from contact with the rim, thereby preventing 



PNEUMATIC AND CUSHION TIRES. 267 

friction or chafing. 11. Because it will not creep on 
the rim. 12. Because the inner tube can be taken 
entirely out of the case, without tearing or otherwise 
damaging the inner tube, in one minute. 13. Be- 
cause its simplicity makes it the king of pneumatics. 
14. Because the case, tube, and pad are endless. 15. Be- 
cause one workman can fit on two hundred tires in one 
day. 16. Last but not least, manufacturers can place 
tire on wheels at their own factory, thereby avoiding 
delays in shipments to and fro, and know to an ab- 
solute certainty that their work is properly done.' , 

The Dunlop pneumatic tire is the one whose in- 
vention revolutionized cycling and precipitated upon 
wheelmen the perplexing tire question. This tire 
found its origin in this way, as stated by the Irish Cy- 
clist. 

"In the year 1888 the young son of Mr. J. B. Dun- 
lop (a veterinary surgeon of Belfast) complained to 
his father of the excessive vibration he experienced 
when riding over the Belfast setts, and the idea oc- 
curred to Mr. Dunlop that compressed air might be 
utilized to intercept this vibration. Accordingly, he 
constructed tires for his son, which proved so satis- 
factory that he went on experimenting, and in con- 
junction with Messrs. Edlin and Sinclair he turned out, 
during the season, some thirty tires. These he kept 
running under his own eye ; none were permitted to 
leave Belfast, and among others he declined supplying 
ourselves and Ar. Du Cros, and the latter was notable 
to get a pneumatic until August, 1889. It was not until 
the September of 1889 that Mr. Dunlop and Mr. Har- 
vey Du Cros, Sr., came together, and late in the au- 



268 WHEELS AMD WHEELING. 

tumn a company was floated by them to work the pat- 
ents. 

" Early in 1890 the pneumatic tire was fairly put on 
the market. In appearance it resembled the tire now 
made, but the canvas pocket was formed by solution- 
ing two pieces of canvas together, the ends forming 
flaps to bind round the rim. This form of tire worked 
admirably ; the inner tubes never wore, and the can- 
vas round the rim stood well, but it had one weakness 
— oil dissolved the solution, when the canvas pocket 
separated gradually, and the inner tubes burst. With 
careful riders this rarely occurred, but with the care- 
less or ignorant, who in oiling let the oil run down the 
the spokes on to the tire, it happened frequently, 
and toward the end of the season reached such a pitch 
that it was decided to sew the canvas in future ; but 
time did not permit of testing the efficiency of the 
method thoroughly. For a while it worked admira- 
bly, bursts became a thing of the past, but a more 
serious difficulty arose. The stitching wore the in- 
ner tube into long slits which allowed the air to es- 
cape, and nine out of every ten cases of so-called 
puncture were due to this cause. Thousands of tires 
had gone out before this was discovered, but the 
company had been meanwhile experimenting and had 
a remedy ready, and toward the end of the season of 
1891 the present form of tire was adopted. We shall 
briefly describe the pneumatic tire as now made. 

" The air tube has been strengthened without seri- 
ously increasing the weight, and after many experi- 
ments the very best quality of rubber has been fixed 
on, and the increased strength has not been secured 



PNEUMA TIC AND CUSHION TIRES. 



269 



at the expense of flexibility, the air tube being still 
distinguished for that silky softness for which it was 
always remarkable. A seamless woven pocket is now 




Dunlop Pneumatic Tire. 



A. Outside Cover, or tread portion of Tire. B. Canvas Wrapper which 
secures Canvas Pocket C to Rim. C. Canvas Pocket. D. Air Tube. 
E. Rubber Strips, forming cushions for Air Tube to press against. F. Can- 
vas^ Foundation Strip, cemented to Rim. G. Metal Hollow Rim. H. Valve, 
which allows Tire to be deflated to any degree at will. 



270 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

used to confine the air tube, so that there is no stitch- 
ing or seam to cut it, and it is bound on to the rim by 
an additional piece of canvas, which is solutioned 
round it, while a narrow slip of specially prepared rub- 
ber at the edge of the rim gives the affixing flaps ad- 
ditional purchase and provides for the friction set up 
by the constant motion of the tire at this point, thus 
preventing fraying. The woven tube and the confin- 
ing canvas are of specially made material, selected 
after exhaustive trials. The method of repair has 
been simplified — the confining canvas being so cut as 
to overlap the other end ; and to get at the air tube 
it is only necessary to peel it back. After repairing the 
tube it is not necessary to stitch the canvas down. A 
perfect inflating and deflating non-return valve has 
been adopted, thus getting over the difficulty experi- 
enced from suddenly collapsing tires, and conse- 
quent punctures, or nips between the rim and the 
ground." 

The latest improvements are: " An entirely new 
method of constructing the canvas pocket, which 
doubles the strength of the pocket and makes it an 
impossibility to break or burst on the sides of the 
rim where fitted. The fitting of strips of pure 
rubber in a special manner on the rim before fixing 
the pocket, thereby forming a bed for the canvas 
pocket, which, when fitted, makes a solid founda- 
tion for the tire and entirely surmounts the possibility 
of the air tube being nipped by the rim. This 
nipping caused nearly two-thirds of the punc- 
tures last season. The adoption of a special air tube 
upon which our rubber manufacturers have been 



PNEUMATIC AND CUSHION TIRES. 271 

experimenting for two years, and which they have 
now succeeded in making a complete circle without a 
seam. The weight of this air tube is also increased. 
The material used is of the purest Para rubber obtain- 
able. Our rubber-makers have also devised a means 
of manufacturing these tubes and also outer covers 
without taking from the strength or elasticity of the 
rubber in any way. We have now, after very careful 
study and experiment, patented and adopted a deflat- 
ing valve which is perfect. It is simple to fit in place 
of the old existing valves, and there is not any part of 
it complicated or liable to get out of order. When 
fitted, this valve stands outside the rim and can be ad- 
justed without interfering with the tire in any way. 
It is not necessary to have a new inflater, as that which 
is now in use will fit this valve with the aid of a special 
coupling. With the foregoing improvements, we are 
confident that all difficulties are now practically over- 
come, and that this tire, with our new valve, will give 
unqualified satisfaction. 

" Our new valve consists essentially of two parts — 
one part being a metal tube threaded externally, and 
fitted with nut and washers, and having at one end a 
mushroom shaped head — the other part being a per- 
forated stem or spindle, threaded at one end, for 
attachment to the inflater, and at the other end covered 
with rubber tubing in such a manner that while freely 
admitting air to the tire it prevents its escape, until, 
by the removal or loosening of a cap, which keeps the 
stem in position, the air is allowed to escape at pleas- 
ure. The thread portion of the stem is protected 
from dust and dirt by a small metal cover, attached, 



272 



WHEELS AND WHEELING. 



by means of a short chain, to the nearest spoke to 
prevent its being lost or mislaid. 

" The rubber valve tubes will last an indefinite 
time, but they can at any time be replaced, if necessity 
arises for so doing, with a new one, by removing the 
old one, cleaning the stem, moistening it, and pushing 
on a new tube, which, after being pushed up to its 
place, over the conical portion of the stem, should be 
slightly drawn back to elongate it and insure of its 
being easily and freely inserted in its position in the 
metal tube." 

The Duplex rim is formed to take a cushion tire 
of somewhat peculiar shape, having two holes near 




Duplex Cushion Tire. 



the rim. The first cut shows the tire in its normal 
shape ; the second one, its condition under the pres- 
sure exerted by the rider's weight. 

" The tires are of the very best quality, and cannot 
possibly cut, the rubber receding within the rim. 
There is an entire absence of drag uphill, so notice- 
able in other hollow tires. This is due to the weight 



PNEUMATIC AND CUSHION TIRES. 273 

of the rider, etc., being directly supported by the solid 
portion of rubber between the two holes, and not by 
the outer walls or sides. This arrangement gives 
great elasticity ; which most important quality it never 
loses, even under the heaviest load, the holes never 
being completely closed. The rim, though consider- 
ably lighter than the ordinary one,- is of immense 
strength, and by fixing the spokes in pairs or alter- 
nately right and left, the wheel possesses a strength 
and rigidity defying all attempts at buckling. ,, 

The Duryea crescent cushion tire is practically 
" the long sought for o section tire, but instead of the 



Duryea Crescent Cushion Tire. 

rim getting a cementing surface on the rubber by ex- 
tending up the side of the tire part way as in all Q 
tires heretofore made, the rubber has lips extending 
down into the rim, which is provided with grooves to 
receive said lips. This leaves all the tire proper up 
and above board so that it has no dead rubber at all, 



274 



WHEELS AND WHEELING. 



It cannot cut on the edges of the rim for they are lower 
than the rim proper. It cannot be torn off, for no 
strain can reach the edges of the lips. It is the ne plus 
ultra shape for a tire. They intended to market it in 
1891 and so catalogued it, but were so late about get- 
ting their cycles that they did not use it. The tire, 
therefore, comes out with the benefit of a full season 
of experimental use. 

" They introduce some further common sense in 
their method of securing their cushioning properties. 




Duryea Crescent Cushion Tire. 

They claim that if a tube (or hollow tire) is laid on its 
side, and load applied, it is not truly compressed ; it is 
simply flattened out of shape. Whereas, if it is set 
on end, it actually compresses. In the first case, more 
rubber is required to support the same weight, and the 
constant flattening will in time break even rubber. In 
the second case, there is no flattening, and the hole 
provides room into which the rubber may compress so 
that the amplitude of compression is increased with no 
loss of resiliency or durability. By honeycombing the 
tire on its under side with two rows of alternating 
holes they secure the effect of a large number of tubes 



PNEUMATIC AND CUSHION TIRES. 275 

on end. Its light weight, its great width, full i\ inches, 
and its hollow rim, together with its appearance and 
actual worth promise a large future for it. 

" The rims on the cushion tire machines are hollow, 
and distinctly different from the ordinary type. To 
begin with, our rim not only is light, but so much of 
its depth is within the tire that it appears shallower 
than other hollow rims and looks light instead of 
heavy and cumbrous. We are enabled to produce a 
light rim, and yet one that is materially stiffer and 
stronger than other hollow rims by the simple device 
of inverting its inner section so that its curve is 
opposite to that of its outer section. 

" The ordinary solid rim is U-shaped and must be 
quite deep and heavy to be strong enough to resist buck- 
ling strains. If now a shallower U be set inside the 
other so as to form a crescent, you have the ordi- 
nary hollow rim, which is a great improvement, but 
we turn our inner section the other side up so that 
our rim is practically a tube, and therefore more 
secure than any other against any variation in shape, 
for a tube is the strongest form for its weight. A 
hollow rim is obviously far superior to a solid one ; 
hence we use it, though the expense is very greatly 
increased." 

Dale's Eclipse Combination tire is claimed to be 
" the very best rim and tire ever yet introduced to the 
public for the road and ordinary wear. The tire is 
non-collapsible, and combines all the advantages of 
the pneumatic without its disadvantages. As buoyant 
as an inflated tire. No inflation needed, nor risk of 
puncture and consequent loss. Warranted not to 



276 



WHEELS AND WHEELING. 



cut. No skidding or slipping on the muddiest 
road." 

Dunn's Patent Eclipse pneumatic tire is claimed 
to be unpuncturable, and it certainly is of unique 




Eclipse Combination Tire. 



character. It " has no inner tube, but is itself a large 
tube of very thin rubber and canvas combined, and is 
non-stretchable beyond a certain limit. Within the 
circle is placed an insertion of solid rubber, backed 
up by a long strip of exceedingly thin steel, corrugated. 
It is an absolute impossibility to get through this and 
reach the inner tube ; the tread of the tire always re- 
mains the same, any yield owing to the elasticity of 
the air taking place above it. It is a new idea of a 
decidedly promising character, the principle being 
somewhat of a departure from other pneumatic tires. ,, 
These tires "are constructed on entirely new and 
improved principles, and exhibit in the highest practi- 
cable degree all the merits a tire can possess. They 
are protected from puncture by a band of steel em- 
bedded in the rubber running surface. To give the 



PNEUMATIC AND CUSHION TIRES. 277 

band elasticity in its length, which is necessary to 
prevent its impairing the resiliency of the tire, it is cor- 
rugated transversely, at the same time increasing its 
flexibility and its length, and making it transversely flat 
and rigid. The weight of the band is about three 
ounces, and it does not in the smallest perceptible de- 
gree impair the resiliency of the tires, no friction being 
produced on their flexion between the rubber and the 
band. But their chief novelty and merit is that they 
have a narrow running surface constant in breath, which 




Eclipse Pneumatic Tire, 

is independent of the degree of the compression of the 
air column. This is produced by the transverse rigidity 
of the corrugated steel band preventing the tires flatten- 
ing out on contact with the ground. The running sur- 
face is thus reduced to about a third of the breadth of 
that usually produced by other pneumatic tires, and to 
about the same as in small solids. A great saving of 
power in road friction and suction, especially on wet 
roads, is thus secured, and slipping is reduced to the 
same degree as in solid tires. Further, the narrowing 



278 WHEELS AND WHEELING, 

of the running surface reduces proportionately the 
area of the tire, which it is necessary to make thick to 
withstand wear and puncture, w 7 hereby the tires are 
rendered very much lighter and more flexible than is 
otherwise possible. 

" It is to be observed, too, that in these tires the 
rubber strip with the steel band embedded in it, which 
forms the running surface, is inclosed within the canvas 
binding, so that the rubber is constantly under the 
pressure of the air column, and consequently little 
further compression of it takes place on contact with 
the ground. The loss of power is thus reduced to a 
minimum, being indeed quite imperceptible. The con- 
stancy of the running surface gives them a further im- 
portant merit for road use. It permits of their being 
used with more spring in them than is possible with 
other tires without seriously impairing their ease of 
running. They are as desirable for speed on the path 
as for reliability and resiliency on the road. Being un- 
puncturable, they may, without fear of failure, be made 
of smaller sizes than has been found practicable with 
other tires, so that they can be fitted, of such sizes as 
will pass the forks, even to machines intended for solid 
tires. The protecting band used in these tires may be 
introduced into any other composite tires, whereby 
they will be perfectly protected from puncture, and 
greatly improved in running. They are made with 
solid walls, so that there is no loose air tube in them, 
and should any accident befall them, they can be re- 
paired with the greatest facility. To make them as 
light and easy running as possible, they are made 
very thin, and should they wear on the running sur- 



PNEUMATIC AND CUSHION TIRES. 279 

face, a new wearing strip can readily be put round 
them. This is the only repair they should ever require. 
They are manufactured by new and improved methods, 
under the personal supervision of the inventor, and 
are guaranteed to be of the very best material and 
workmanship." 

The Fleetwood claims to be the best pneumatic 
tire on the ground that " it is reliable ; it is absolutely 
non-bursting ; it has no loose air cnamber to cut and 
chafe ; ordinary clean punctures close automatically ; 
all repairs done from the outside ; it can be repaired 
in two minutes ; it has never to be removed from the 
rim ; stripping, patching, sewing, resticking, etc., are 
done away with ; it is more resilient than any other 
tire ; it is as fast as any tire on the market ; it is built 
up to keep the air well under the weight ; it is fitted 
with a reliable valve ; it is fitted with our ' patent non- 
slipper ' cover ; it is made of best materials only. 

" Small holes made in the tire close up automati- 
cally owing to its construction, but should a rider be 
unfortunate enough to meet with a more serious 
puncture the tire is easily repaired from the outside. 
All that is necessary is to plug the hole with a small 
piece of pure rubber dipped in naphtha. If the plug 
is tied in its place by a tape passing around the rim, 
the tire may be reinflated and ridden at once. Five 
minutes is ample to accomplish the repair, and the 
tape may be removed as soon as the naphtha has evap- 
orated. We have no loose air chamber to contend 
with, and all tires that depend on this are faulty, as 
the inner tube is certain to cut and chafe. In our 
tire strips of rubber are placed on the edges of the 



28o 



WHEELS AND WHEELING. 



rim ; this effectually preventing any cutting, and at 
the same time keeping the air well under the weight 
just where it is wanted to give the best result. We 
use a side inflating valve of entirely new design 
which can be inflated at will. All sizes of tires are 
made from \\ inch (to suit cushion rims) upward. 
The usual pneumatic rims, both hollow and solid, 
are suitable for our tire, and it can be fitted to any 
machine." 

The " G. and J." inflated cushion tire is composed 




GORMULLY & JEFFERY INFLATED CUSHION TlRE. 



of an outer thick rubber tube, a canvas tube, and an 
inner thin coating of rubber. The air tube and cap 



PNEUMATIC AND CUSHION TIRES. 



281 



used are the same as those in their pneumatic, and 
will be found described under that head. 

It is said that in the " G. and J." pneumatic tire 
" there are no rags to be unwrapped, resewn, or re- 
glued ; no needle or thread or pastepot is needed ; 
the case can be removed, the puncture patched, the 




GORMULLY & JEFFERY PNEUMATIC TlRE. 



tire replaced and inflated within four minutes, and 
this without the use of a tool of any sort. 

" In the cuts the tire is shown in perspective and 
section, one cut showing a central section through 
the valve. The tire consists of an outside case of 
india rubber that is lined with thin canvas so as to 
prevent stretching, and has on its outer surface a 
series of ridges or lengthwise corrugations that afford 
not only a good wearing surface but prevent side slip- 
ping on the roads. This case is divided lengthwise 



282 WHEELS AND WHEELING, 

on the under side, and they are thickened so that the 
lengthwise slits or sockets that face outward readily 
receive the inturned edges of the rim of the tire. 
Inside of this case is the inflatable rubber tube which, 
when fully expanded, fills out the case and engages 
the hooked edges of the rim in the socket referred to 
in such manner that they are most effectually locked 
together and prevent the tire from coming off as long 
as it is inflated. It is, in fact, impossible to remove 
the tire, while it is inflated, without tearing off the 
edges, and they are strongly re-enforced by the canvas 
lining vulcanized with the tire in the process of 
manufacture. As soon as the tire is deflated, how- 
ever, a side pressure on one of these edges will readily 
disengage it from the rim. 

" The valve consists of a rubber inlet tube having 
a brass nipple on the outer end, for the attachment of 
the pump that is secured on to the nipple. This valve 
and its nipple are supported in a metallic tube that is 
firmly riveted to the rim. After the pump is screwed 
in its place it is not necessary to hold the pump or 
nozzle with the fingers, as with the usual pneumatic 
inflating arrangements. The valve usually placed in 
the air tube is dispensed with and placed where it 
operates more effectively — in the pump. To close 
the inlet tube on the removal of the pump, a lever is 
provided, as shown; in the perspective view, in its 
position when the inlet tube is open ; and in the sec- 
tional view, with the lever in the position it assumes 
when the inlet tube is closed. In both views will be 
noticed near the base of the lever an adjusting screw, 
the head of which is adapted to press the side of the 



PNEUMATIC AND CUSHION TIRES. 283 

inlet tube and close its orifice. The cap hinged to 
the extremity of the lever turns over the threaded end 
of the nipple and keeps out the dust, and with a little 
spur on one of its edges, together with the consequent 
outward pressure of the rubber air tube, locks the 
cap in place and consequently locks the compressing 
lever and its screw into place until removal is desired 
to inflate or deflate the air tube. 

" The case portion is molded endless, the air tube 
being made complete in a rubber factory. The at- 
tachment of both to the wheel is a simple matter, 
requiring neither tools nor cement and a very small 
degree of skill for its completion." 

The following directions should be noted in case 
repairs are necessary : " When a puncture is sus- 
pected in an air tube, the air must be allowed to fully 
escape by unlocking the lever of the valve, if neces- 
sary. The tire case must then be removed by a side- 
ways pressure of the rubber, using the unaided hands, 
or, if convenient, an instrument like the loop of a 
buttonhook, or of a lamp bracket. A screwdriver 
will answer the same purpose, but the operator runs 
a risk of making a hole through the tire case. Care 
should be observed to press as near the base of the 
rubber as possible, sideways and toward the hollow of 
the rim. The left-hand side of each wheel, and that 
to which the valve is directed, is designed to be first 
removed, and for this purpose the inclined edge of 
the tire is placed so that it will slide above the op- 
posing edge when pressed, as directed above, toward 
the right. After this edge has been removed, the 
other edge can, if necessary, be pulled out in a man- 



284 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

ner that will suggest itself to the operator. We rec- 
ommend that the second edge be not removed unless 
necessary. i\ny part of the air case not near the 
valve can now be pulled out and repaired as directed 
below. 

" Before removing any part of the air tube near the 
inlet pipe, the operator must remove a nut from the 
threaded nipple forming the connection to the pump. 
When this nut is removed, the nipple can be pressed 
backward into its metal support and withdrawn by a 
slight strain on the air tube. We caution the reader 
to pull lightly, and aid the removal by using the point 
of a lead pencil or wire pressed on the nipple. When 
the injured part of the air tube is exposed, the surface 
should be rubbed smooth with sandpaper, or scraped 
with a knife, to expose a fresh rubber surface, which 
must be coated slightly (a heavy coat is no stronger 
and requires more time to dry) with rubber cement 
that is furnished in collapsible tubes for this purpose, 
and a piece of rubber somewhat larger than the aper- 
ture should be first roughened and coated, and applied 
to the injured part. If an interval of from five minutes to 
half an hour is allowed to elapse between the coating of 
the two pieces and their application to each other, a 
better union will result than if they were applied after 
one minute of drying, and for a very secure and diffi- 
cult piece of repair we recommend two coatings and 
two intervals of drying to elapse before pressing the 
pieces together. If the rider is compelled to use the 
machine without waiting for it to dry, it can be used 
at once. 

" The tube must be placed carefully inside its casing 



PNEUMATIC AND CUSHION TIRES. 285 

and the edges of the casing in their proper position 
in the rim, taking care not to twist the inlet tube, or 
strain it sideways, for it may become cut, or have its air 
duct closed. In replacing the cover, the entire right- 
hand edge must always be applied first, and then the 
air case. In applying the left-hand edge, see that it 
enters its position under the air tube, and does not 
leave any folds of air tube between the abutting edges 
of the tire case and the air pumped 'in. As the case 
begins to expand, the operator should see that the 
edges at all points go evenly under the rim, and before 
tightening up the nut of , the inlet pipe (if it has been 
loosened) see that the nipple goes fully into the sup- 
port, and that the little key or pin in the nipple gets 
into its seating in the support. Failure to do this 
will be liable to break off the key, or the nipple will 
fail to hold when the pump is applied. If the rubber 
inlet tube leaks, or is improperly joined to the air 
tube or nipple, a new union must be made by re- 
moving the old one and cleaning off the old cement 
before applying a new coating. The cleansing can be 
done readily by scraping, or the use of benzine, 
gasoline, naphtha, ether, or chloroform, and either 
of these substances can be used to dissolve pure un- 
vulcanized rubber to produce the cement, if the 
operator can wait half a day for the solution to be 
made. 

" Sometimes a puncture is suspected when the 
cause is at the valve, which is not tight. This can be 
tested by applying soap water, or saliva, to the sur- 
face of the inlet pipe, before the lever is moved back. 
The tightening at this part is adjustable by move- 



286 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

ment inward of the little screw near the base of the 
lever ; but this must not be unduly tightened, or the 
rubber at this point is liable to become broken. If 
the tire is gripped by the hand, when uninflated, a 
sound near the inlet tube will be produced. This 
sound is caused by the air between the tube and tire 
case, and does not indicate that a leak or puncture 
exists, as might be supposed, for it occurs when the 
air tube is perfect, as well as when defective. The 
tire must not be ridden on without being inflated, un- 
less the owner is prepared to insert a new air tube 
and perhaps a new air case. 

" If the repairer should have any difficulty with the 
pocket pump supplied with the ' G. & JV pneumatic 
tire, the defect is likely to be in one of three places 
— either the nozzle is not screwed tightly to the inlet 
nipple, or the valve in the piston is not working right, 
or the leather cup around the piston is not as it should 
be. The first can be remedied by using a small 
piece of leather about -Jg- inch thick, cut circular \ 
inch in diameter, with a hole in the center about 
T ig inch, noticing carefully that the leather is 
placed in the bottom of the threaded pump nozzle, 
evenly, and that its hole in the center does not be- 
come closed up by contact with the nipple when both 
are screwed together. The valve in the piston rod 
can be removed and examined by unscrewing the cap 
at the back of the piston, when a leather disk about 
\ inch in diameter will be found, held in its place in 
the cap by a spring. The disk should be smooth and 
even in its seat, and free from metallic particles or 
dust. The best results are obtained by using a 



PNEUMATIC AND CUSHION TIRES. 287 

rubber disk instead of a leather one, and when this is 
used in the pump, care must be taken that no oil 
comes in contact with it. If they should become oily 
and extremely soft, then new ones can be cut from 
the rubber patching we supply for repairing tires, or 
any other smooth, even rubber, about T 1 g- inch thick. 

" The other source of trouble is sometimes in the 
cup-shaped leather that fits inside the pump. This 
must be kept soft and pliable. If it' becomes hard, it 
should be greased and pressed outward with the 
fingers, so as to enlarge the cup portion. A wire 
spring will be found expanding the cup, and it is well 
sometimes to remove the wire, straighten it out into a 
larger circle, and replace it, so that it presses the 
leather outward, taking care that when the cup is re- 
placed and screwed against the piston end, its screw 
sets up tightly, and on replacing it in the cylinder, 
take care to insert it evenly, i. e., without any folds 
occurring. A little attention to these details will make 
the work of reinfiating the tire a pleasure, where, with- 
out the attention, it would be laborious and almost 
impossible." 

The Harford spring and cushion tire has three 
holes running throughout its length, placed in such a 
manner, and of such sizes, as to enable the rubber, 
when pressure is applied, to retire within itself, instead 
of spreading out over the rim. 

" The tire is constructed as follows per section : 
There are air spaces, the remainder of section being 
solid rubber ' Best Para.' When compressed, the 
solid part acts as a spring, and is deflected, and 
thus tending to draw in the sides of the tire and 



288 



WHEELS AND WHEELING. 



prevent their being cut. After the compression, the 
resilience of the released rubber insures the parts 




Harford Spring and Cushion Tire. 

returning to their normal position. The large space 
permits deflection into it. The small spaces permit 
the tire to deflect or be compressed within itself." 

It is said that the Heale patent pneumatic tire 
" cannot burst, and can be repaired by anyone in a few 




,&<«**$ foe 



St*** cr 



Heale Pneumatic Tire. 



minutes. The canvas tube is never cut, no matter 
what repair may be necessary. It is built in a special 



PNEUMATIC AND CUSHION TIRES. 



289 



2-inch shallow rim by fastening a strip of canvas and 
rubber vulcanized together into the rim by a wire. 
The outer rubber casing has its points smeared with 
rubber solution and passed between the flap and the 
rim, after the canvas tube, containing the air chamber, 
is placed inside with the seam (having J-inch flaps) just 
below the point of rim. When the tire is inflated, 
the outer rubber is gripped by the rim, and cannot be 
pushed from it. To repair : deflate' the tire, push it 
back from the rim, pull the point away from flap, rip 
the stiches of canvas tube, pull out and patch air 
chamber, sew up the two or three inches of canvas 
seam, cement point, place it, inflate, and ride at once. ,, 
The Hill and Gilbert pneumatic tire is here shown. 
Its construction " can readily be seen from the illustra- 




Hill and Gilbert Pneumatic Tire. 



tion. No canvas flaps or cement are used, the mode 
of attachment consisting of an inner rim of steel, of 



290 



WHEELS AND WHEELING. 



thin section, fastened to the rim proper by four or 
five clamping screws around its circumference. In 
case of puncture, the outer covering can be quickly 
removed by loosening three nuts and pushing the tire 
to one side sufficiently to allow the enlarged edge of 
outer covering to be withdrawn — this will expose the 
air tube, which may be quickly repaired and the outer 
covering again clamped in position and the tire re- 
inflated. All the air space is outside of rim on a flat 
base, thus insuring speed. The inventor claims it to 
be the quickest repaired pneumatic on the market." 

The Hill and Gilbert suspension tire " consists 
of a rubber tube thickened at the point of ground 




Hill and Gilbert Suspension Tire. 



contact, and is supported and distended by two bands 
or hoops around its two inner circumferences. In 
construction the tire is as follows: The inside band, 
to which is fastened the rim of the wheel, is of steel 
with curved edges to prevent cutting. A larger inside 
band is made with three corrugations forming curved 



PNEUMATIC AND CUSHION TIRES. 291 

surfaces, the center corrugation making a depression 
which forms a cushion for the ground contact of the 
tire. An endless suspended tube is constructed by 
incasing the two bands or hoops in canvas. This 
canvas constitutes the lining of the rubber. The tube 
is then placed in the mold, and the rubber is molded 
to its outer surface. 

" The advantages which this tire possesses are that 
its resiliency is equal in every way to that of the 
pneumatic, while it possesses none of the disadvantages 
of the air-inflated tires. It requires no attention after 
it is once fastened to the wheel, it is not affected by 
puncture, while it employs the principle which has 
made the pneumatic tire a success, viz., an endless 
circle or support for the outer circumference of the 
tire/* 

The Holdfast pneumatic is rather a novelty, the 
tire being made and fixed as follows : " The rim is rolled 
of a V section, but below the point 
of the V opens into a circular tube, 
the whole being a small size, but, of 
course, very strong, almost a tubular 
rim, with a V rim on the top of it. 
The arch of the tire has two thick- 
ened ends, which take the shape of 
two small half-circles of vulcanized 
rubber, which when put together Holdfast 

just about fit the tubular lower part Pneumatic Tire - 
of the rim. By passing each half through separately, 
they can be easily inserted, but any attempt to with- 
draw them together fails, the two semicircular pieces 
of rubber making a firm circle inside the tube, too 




292 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

big to pass through the orifice at the bottom of the 
V, simple yet effective, and as the V is, relatively to 
other inflated tire rims, small and narrow, practically 
the whole of the air tube is available for cushioning 
purposes. 

" The rim so rests on the outer case or tire that it 
cannot cut or chafe the inner tube, but protects it 
from chafing. The patent valve is so constructed 
that the act of putting on the pump opens it to admit 
air, and taking off the pump closes the valve and pre- 
vents escape of air. A loose cap, carried on the top of 
the pump-handle, when screwed on to the valve deflates 
the tire at once/' 

The Hookham patent spring wired cushion tire 
has the outer portion made of the usual high quality 



****J*£f*r 




Hookham's Spring-wired Cushion Tire. 

rubber ; the inner portion of harder rubber, while 
through the hollow core the corrugated spring wire is 
carried, thus holding the tire on firmly without any 
stretching. The advantages claimed for it are that 



PNEUMATIC AND CUSHION TIRES. 293 

" 1. You can see what the inside is like, — the size, 
shape, and position of the hole. 2. The tire is put on 
without stretch, and is therefore i at rest,' which every 
rubber manufacturer will admit to be the right thing. 
In case of small cuts there is no tendency to gape 
open. 3. In case of deep cut or injury, a portion may 
be removed, and a fresh piece substituted. The wear 
of these tires is excellent." 

The Ideal pneumatic tire has received its name 
"because it possesses all the desirable features which 




Ideal Pneumatic Tire. 

the imagination of writers has given to the perfect 
ideal pneumatic tire, which may be enumerated as 
follows : 

"First. — Resiliency. — When mounted upon our 
double hollow rim of cold rolled tempered steel, it 



294 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

possesses all the resiliency that can be given to com- 
pressed air and rubber backed by a rigid rim of the 
most improved construction. 

" Second. — Speed. — As speed depends entirely upon 
resiliency and lightness it is evident that the Ideal 
possesses these qualities in the highest degree. 

" Third. — Self -Healing. — The Ideal pneumatic is 
now being fitted with a regular inflation tube with our 
elastic core inserted, which, in our opinion, is as re- 
liable a construction as can possibly be made. The 
core is made of patent elastic felt, weighs but eight 
ounces per wheel, does not interfere in the slightest de- 
gree with the resiliency of the tire, but effectually pre- 
vents any nipping or cutting on the rim, which is the 
real cause of nine-tenths of all punctures, and it affords 
a most excellent cushion tire to ride home on if a punc- 
ture occurs on the road. We are also at the present 
time experimenting with a self-healing inflation tube 
which will automatically and instantly close any small 
puncture, and a large gash can be repaired by simply 
darning up the hole as you would a hole in a stocking. 

" Fourth. — Ease of Repair, Renewal, Etc. — There is 
no tire at present on the market that can be taken to 
pieces and repaired or renewed more easily than the 
Ideal. The outer envelope can be removed, exposing 
any portion of the inflation tube in a few seconds, and 
replaced almost as quickly. A whole new tire, or any 
part of it, can be put on by a novice in a few minutes 
without the aid of a single tool. The act of securing 
the outer envelope is instantaneous and perfectly posi- 
tive. The harder the inflation the tighter it binds the 
rim. 



PNEUMATIC AND CUSHION TIRES. 295 

" Fifth. — Adaptability to any Rim. — The Ideal can 
be easily and quickly applied to any ordinary concave 
cushion rim. Old cycles with worn-out cushion tires 
can be fitted with the Ideal pneumatic tire in less 
time than it would take to fit new cushions or solid 
tires." 

The Imperial pneumatic tire is claimed to be 
" lighter than any pneumatic tire ever constructed/' 




Imperial Pneumatic Tire. 

to possess more life and resilience, and to be exceed- 
ingly simple. The " air tubes are made of the finest 
Para rubber, calendered in three piles, and are with- 
out blemish or weak places ; they are made larger than 
the opening in casing, and from this fact are not un- 
der any strain when tire is inflated. Casings, or 
outer non-expansible coverings, are made seamless 
and, although very light, have yet fully five times the 



296 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

strength required. They are lined with canvas, pre- 
venting any stretching. The valve is of the simplest 
and best description, and one that hard road-riders 
have thoroughly tested for over a year, and is de- 
flatable. Workmanship throughout is of the highest 
order, all tires being put to a hard test and rigid 
examination before being shipped, nothing being 
shipped that is not of the highest order." For re- 
pairs " it is simply necessary, after deflating tire, to 
remove from wheel commencing on side opposite 
valve, cut the lacing and withdraw the inner tube, 
make repair, and replace tube and lacing." 

The Kelly pneumatic tire is said to be similar 
to the Boothroyd, which is fully described else- 
where, "the only difference being that the tread is 
thickened. " 

The Lungren pneumatic tire has the following 
features : 

" In constructing the wheel rim so that this forms a 
supporting center upon which the tire can collapse in 
case of puncture and still be in serviceable condition ; 
and in making the inflatable envelope in the form of 
a band or strip, instead of a closed tube as heretofore 
constructed, so that repairs can be made upon the 
inside, and attaching this band to the wheel rim in 
such a manner that while it can be readily removed 
for repairs it is securely held when in position. 

" The supporting centre may be formed either by 
the metal wheel, A, as shown in Fig. 1, or by the 
rubber centre, F 9 as shown in Fig. 2. The inflatable 
envelope, £, is held in place in the wheel rim by being 
formed with enlarged edges, C, which are held between 



PNEUMA TIC AND CUSHION TIRES. 



2 9 J 



the outer edge of the rim and the center by the retain- 
ing rubber rings, D. These rings, which can be 
readily put in place before the tire is inflated, serve 



M&J 




Lunge en Pneumatic Tire. 

to securely hold the edges, C, and to bind them more 
tightly in place the greater the pressure of the air. 
The inflatable envelope may be made as shown in Fig. 
i, in which the outer part is rendered non-stretchable 



2gS WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

by the insertion of a web of canvas, £, or the whole of 
the envelope may be made of non-stretchable material, 
as shown in Fig. 2, the necessary elasticity to bring it 
down to the supporting center in case of puncture 
being obtained by an elastic lacing,/, the envelope, B, 
folding upon itself as it is drawn down, or the elastic 
lacing may be dispensed with and the flaps, J and K, 
buttoned together, as shown to the left of the figure. 

" When the wheel rim is constructed as shown in 
Fig. i, spoke nipples may be conveniently placed at 
the center of rim channels, as shown, and when the 
construction shown in Fig. 2 is used, they may be 
placed in the usual manner, the base of the rubber, F y 
Joeing cut away, as shown, to allow it. A suitable form 
of charging valve is shown in Fig. 1, the valve being 
screwed into the metal rim. For racers and semi- 
racers, in which the supporting center is relatively 
unimportant, the tire may be made as shown in Fig. 
3. In this case the envelope, I>, is preferably formed 
with a web of canvas, jB, throughout." 

The Mackintosh laced pneumatic tire " is laced 
on to the rim in a way peculiar to itself, but the espe- 
cial feature of it is the non-puncturable tube. This 
is made non-continuous, so that, should a repair be 
requisite, it may be withdrawn entirely. It is made 
larger than it is required when expanded, a portion of 
the tube being built upon the outside of a canvas- 
curved strip, which, when blown up, is reversed as to 
its position, and this contracts the rubber which it 
supports. 

" It can now be fitted with our puncture closing air 
bladder tube. The wall of the tube closes up after all 



PNEUMATIC AND CUSHION TIRES. 299 

clean punctures, and remains air-tight. It will resist 
about nine out of ten punctures met with. The tenth 
can be remedied by withdrawing the cap-ended air 
tube by means of two slits in the casing (placed just 
free from the edge of the rim, and covered, when not 
in use, by the two larger tabs), repairing and replacing ; 
or by inserting a spare tube, and repairing the other at 
leisure. The exchange can be effected in two or three 
minutes, by the novice in cycling, on'the roadside at 
night. The tire is not removed, there is no unseal- 
ing, sewing, or sticking. The luxury of the pneu- 
matic tire may now be enjoyed without its attendant 
terrors. 

" The tire is now being fitted with a new metal inlet 
pipe and valve which hold the air inact for months. 
A touch of the finger deflates it or regulates the 
pressure as desired. The tire is made in if-, 2, and 
2 \ inches outside diameters, weighing from 5 J- to 
6| lbs. per pair. It will fit any shallow pneumatic 
rim. No pneumatic tire should be put in a deep rim, 
as the edges strike against obstacles. Rims rolled to 
the curvature of the tire are supplied when ordered. 
Trials have abundantly proved that it is the fastest 
tire in the market. The secret of speed — given good 
rubber, flexible backing, and large air space — is in 
every part of the inner curve of the tire being abso- 
lutely immovable on the rim. This is effected by 
cementing them together. The tire may be used per- 
fectly well without cement, but we recommend its use 
for speed. No tire held to the rim by pressure alone 
can be so fast." 

The Mackintosh suspended tire has no rubber in 



300 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

the bottom of the rim, but the other portion of the 
circle is well filled, and the rim itself is of peculiar 




Mackintosh Suspended Tire. 

shape. The tire is said to weigh no more than a j-inch 
solid. 

The Manhole pneumatic tire is a name sometimes 
given to the Swindley, which is elsewhere described. 

The Maxim stud tire is a sort of cushion tire, 
composed of a series of hollow rubber studs fitted 
close together into the rim. It is said to be equal to 
any good cushion, and is very easily repaired, as any 
stud can be readily replaced. " The firm claims that 
the stud tire is an advance on the cushion, that it 
possesses greater elasticity and quicker resilience, 
carrying the weight of the rider without collapsing 
upon the rim, and is free to expand in every direction 
when on the road, instead of bulging out sideways 
only. The studs have so much independent motion 
that they readily give way to any impediment or ob- 
struction. The tire also grips the road even under 
the most adverse atmospheric conditions. The studs 






PNEUMATIC AND CUSHION TIRES, 



301 



are each separate. They may be easily replaced when 
damaged." 




Maxim Stud Tire. 

The Michelin pneumatic tire is a French inven- 
tion. It is a wired tire, with a flattened rim " or 
rather the wires, which are made of square steel, are 
embedded in grooves below the surface, so that none 




Michelin Pneumatic Tire. 



of the actual tire is sunk in the rim ; the rim is also 
broad. A single air tube is formed with butted ends, 
one slipping into the other, to facilitate removal with- 



302 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

out taking out the wheel. The outer cover is canvas- 
backed, with a kind of flange or edge at each side. 
These are fitted into deep grooves at each side of the 
rim, and on the top of them are placed circles of 
square wire the exact circumference of the wheel, and 
with two projecting ears on both ends of each which 
slip through little slits in the rim and are secured with 
a thumbscrew. " 

The Mikado pneumatic tire is of light construc- 
tion and very simple. " It has the ordinary air tube 



;<9X CaxvagA 




Mikado Pneumatic Tire. 

surrounded by a canvas casing, which is sewn with 
the stitches on the outside, but so that the sewn por- 
tion rests on the rim. Under the edge of one side of 
the outer cover is solutioned a flap of rubber which 
lies on top of that portion of the canvas casing which 
rests on the rim, and the other edge of the cover is 
solutioned down on top of this. The complete tire 
thus formed is cemented bodily into the rim, or it can 
be bolted through the rim at intervals, a flat washer 
fitting under the canvas flap already mentioned for 



PNEUMATIC AND CUSHION TIRES. 3°3 

each bolt to pass through; the canvas being cut on 
the cross also makes it grip the rim of itself." 

The Moffat and Huss pneumatic tire " is de- 
scribed as the combination of a pliable, non-extensible, 
outer layer of rubber, with an internal body of rubber 
seated against the outer layer and maintained under 
compression, whereby a puncture will close automat- 
ically." 

In the Nedderman pneumatic tire " the canvas 
edges of a clincher-like arch are much thickened, and 




Nedderman Pneumatic Tire. 

slip into the incurved edge of the rim. Inflation only 
pulls these projections more firmly into their seats, 
while a very simple contrivance makes the tire immov- 
able in case of a collapse." 

The Non-Collapsible cushion tire has the usual 
hollow core : but a tongue of rubber projects into the 
core on the side whence flattening comes during use, 
thus preventing the hole from ever completely closing. 
This feature is said to add materially to its life and 



304 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

constitute a point of great superiority over other cush- 
ion tires. 




NON-COLLAPSIBLE CUSHION TlRE. 

The Owen cushion tire "consists in making a 
tire of two separate pieces of rubber, each running 
longitudinally through the rim, with about the same 
amount of weight of rubber as the ordinary solid 
rubber tire, but separated into two parts for distinc- 
tively different kinds of work, an outer and inner sec- 
tion of rubber, as will be seen by the drawing. Sup- 
pose the ordinary tire to possess 100 parts of good 
qualitity of rubber, and let 75 parts with ingredients 
be used for the outer, or harder more refractory cover- 
ing, A, and let 25 parts remaining be made of a 
pure soft more elastic rubber, and molded so as to 
serve as a longitudinal seat or cushion, B> for the 
outer shell, A } to rest against, when compressed as 
in riding. 

" The outer portion of rubber must be made hard 
and refractory to take the wear, and separate from the 
inner more delicate rubber, and when cemented 



PNEUMATIC AND CUSHION TIRES. 



3°5 



properly in the felloe or rim of the wheel, the soft vir- 
gin rubber is almost hermetically sealed by the outer 
hard shell from the elements. The advantages of 
making a tire thus are both great and obvious. The 
proportion of the hard and soft rubber being properly 
distributed together with an inner air space between 
the same will afford ease and comfort in riding, and 
in case of wear or damage the outer coat or covering 
can be removed and a new one substituted at a much 




Owen Original Cushion Tire. 

less cost than in any other tire now used ; as the inner 
rubber, owing to its not being exposed to the elements 
and wear, and owing to its pure qualities, will outlast 
several outer coverings, thereby effecting a saving to 
the owner, besides making, when ridden, the most per- 
fect tire of the cushion type. Inasmuch as the rubber 
is so separated into distinctive working parts, the 
quality of the one makes the quality of the other much 
more efficient and useful, and admits of the inner to 



306 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

be of any desired shape for either the hollow or the 
solid rim. 

" The inner section, JB, or core, may also be any 
degree of elasticity of rubber and of any size, even so 
that if it fills the air chamber entirely, when the outer 
jacket or shell is cemented in place in the rim, as long 
as they are molded separately and put together when 
needed. In this case the outer shell may be molded 
like any hose pipe or present common cushion tire, 
but cut at the bottom longitudinally for the reception 
of the inner core or cushion, and likewise for the change 
of the outer shell for a new jacket or covering when 
found necessary. The raised center in a rim, also 
shown, is recommended for this double section tire 
and hollow rim, as the cushion is nearer the center of 
the tire, where it meets and yields more healthfully 
than otherwise to outside impressions, as in riding. 
These sections and points tend to keep the outer tire 
or covering more in shape and not allow it to flatten 
out sidewise and cut by use as some hollow tires 
are apt to do, which are left unsupported from within." 

The Palmer pneumatic tire is said to be com- 
posed of " a thin piece of first quality rubber molded 
in the form of a half circle or crescent moon, for it is 
gradually thickened from the ends to the center, 
being thickest at the center. Then you have your 
regular inner air tube over which you bend your semi- 
circle, but reversed. This reversed band of rubber 
covers the tube over all parts which are not within the 
rim. Over this inner tube, and its re-enforced tread 
surface, you place the regular pneumatic outer cover- 
ing. This supplementary band of rubber is vulcanized 



PNEUMATIC AND CUSHION TIRES. 3°7 



on to canvas and on to the inner tube. In reversing, 
the grain of the rubber is compressed, and as soon as 
a puncture is made the rubber automatically closes. 
The. advantages are : That no valve is necessary ; 
that when the tire punctures the incision is at once 
closed, and but only an inappreciable amount of air 
escapes ; when inflation is necessary you simply put 
a hollow needle in the pump, ' stick*, the tire, and in- 
flate." 

In the Payer pneumatic tire "the rim is nearly 
flat, and provided with a number of studs or pins at 
intervals of about an inch projecting outward. The 
inner tube is placed upon the rim, 
and the outer case, which is made in 
various thicknesses and weights, and 
with canvas lining vulcanized to it, 
is pierced with eyelets, which slip on 
to the pins, and the inflation of the 
tire keeps it tight and firmly attached. 
Should anything go wrong it can be 
deflated and turned back at any 
point, and the condition of the inner 
tube examined. It is a wonderfully simple form of 
construction, and provides great facilities for easy 
repair." 

The People featherweight tire " is composed of 
sections of cork cut from cork wood of suitable size 
and shape, to fit the rims of wheels. These sections 
of cork may be steamed or not, as preferred. The in- 
ventor prefers to steam the cork, as it is then soft and 
pliable, as well as elastic. These sections are cemented 
or applied to the rim in the ordinary way, and the 




Payer 
Pneumatic Tire. 



3°8 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

wheel is then ready to use for any board floor race, or 
any good smooth track ; but the inventor prefers to 
cover the projecting or outside part of said cork tire 
with some strong fabric, such as a strip of rubber-coated 
canvas, or any suitable material, to save the wearing 
part of said tire. For road use, the inventor prefers 
to stretch a rubber band of a U, or any suitable shape, 
over the outside surface of said tire in order to protect 
the cork from being damaged by sharp stones, pieces 
of glass, etc., besides giving a trifle more elasticity to 
the tire. The inventor also claims that this rubber 
band, which covers the outside of said cork tire, may 
be made and fastened on a suitable rim, or on the cork 
tire, in order to be inflated. Should this inflated rubber 
band get punctured, and deflated, the cyclist could still 
ride on the solid cork tire as long as he pleases. The 
following is the weight of some of the inventor's tires 
for a 28-inch wheel. A i^-inch tire six ounces; i|-inch 
ten ounces ; ii-inch twelve ounces ; 2-inch tire six- 
teen ounces.'' 

A new pneumatic tire, to which no name was at- 
tached, was recently described as follows : "a is a 
divided canvas-lined cover adapted to completely 
surround the air-tube, and provided with inter- 
locking edges, the permanently secured edge fitting in 
a trough-shape recess in the rim ; the opposite side 
of said cover being provided with an engaging pro- 
jection adapted to interlock with the permanently se- 
cured edge ; b y band or clamping plate adapted to firmly 
secure one tdge of the divided cover to the wheel rim, 
said clamping plate being formed with a projection to 
strengthen the interlocking parts ; c 9 rim ; d, air-tube. 



PNEUMATIC AND CUSHION TIRES. 



309 



To repair the air-tube, the tire being deflated, a slight 
pressure on the side having the loose edge will unlock 
the edges of the cover, when the inner tube can be 
reached and a patch placed in position ; rehook the 




Pneumatic Tire. 



edges and inflate. A few advantages claimed : Ease 
of repair. The interlocking edge being independent 
of the rirn, and placed where they will receive the least 
wear and strain. From its construction, the tire cannot 
slip or creep, and can be inflated to 
suit the weight of the rider. Con- 
venient as the clincher, and with the 
resiliency of the true pneumatic. 
Air tube does not come in contact 
with the metal rim. Battered edges 
of the rim will not affect the inter- 
locking parts." 

The Quertier solid pneumatic air 
spring tire is practically an outer solid rubber tire 
superimposed upon an inner pneumatic tire, the air 




Quertier 
Pneumatic Tire. 



3IO WHEELS AND WHEELING, 

tire being fitted into the rim, thus protecting it from 
puncture, and the solid rubber being impos.ed on it. 

A new material called Rathite is " composed of 
pure rubber with the addition of pure silk fiber, and 
is guaranteed to contain no adulteration. It is in- 
comparably tougher and more durable than any ordi- 
nary rubber. Rathite cushion and solid tires are 
warranted not to burst or split during a whole season. 
Light, durable, and non-slipping. Rathite pneumatic 
cushion tires are built up of alternate layers of hard 
and soft Rathite, forming an excellent spring without 
the aid of inflation. Light, durable, and non-slipping. 
Superior to a pneumatic for hill-climbing and on dirty 
roads. Rathite pneumatic tires lace over any ordi- 
nary cushion rim. The whole is removable by mere 
unlacing. Is difficult to puncture, and non-slipping. 
Rathite covers are made for Dunlop and other pneu- 
matics. Prevent puncturing and side-slipping, and 
protect the tires." 

The Resilient pneumatic tire " is a true pneu- 
matic of the highest type. It is mounted on a special 
hollow rim, the inner member of which is corrugated 
to receive the edges of the envelope and the securing 
hoops, and the outer member is concave, making a 
remarkably strong rim. A piece of canvas is first 
cemented into the rim upon which the inflation tube 
rests. The edges of the outer envelope are beaded 
and folded underneath the rim, after which two hoops, 
made of small brass tubes slightly less in diameter 
than the rim, are pressed into the grooves behind the 
beaded edges and then expanded by means of expan- 
sion joints shown in Fig. i. The hoops grip the 



PNE UMA TIC A ND CUSHION TIRES. 3 1 1 

edges of the envelope so tight that it is next to im- 
possible to force them out. 

" The inflation tube has canvas insertion to prevent 
bursting and is provided with the Phelps elastic core, 




Resilient Pneumatic Tire. 



which effectually prevents nipping on the rim, and 
affords a most excellent cushion tire to ride home on 
if the inflation tube becomes punctured on. the road. 
This elastic core weighs but eight ounces and does 



312 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

not interfere with the resiliency of the tire. It has 
been thoroughly tested and adopted by several of the 
largest manufacturers of tires." 

The inventor of the Richwine ball tire says " my 
invention consists of a tire formed of a tube and elastic 
balls, which are seated in an elastic bed in said tube 
and thereby prevented from displacement, the com- 
bined action of the parts producing a highly elastic, 
easy riding, and durable tire. Provision is made for 
access to the interior of the tube, and other features 
are presented, as will be hereinafter fully set forth. 

" A, designates a tube constituting the tube proper, 
the same being formed of suitable fabric, such as 




Richwine Ball Tire. 

rubber cloth, which is bent into shape and has its ends 
brought together at the inner periphery of the tube, 
and retained in closed or approximately closed position 
by means of lacings, H, which are passed around 
studs or pins, C, on the tube on opposite sides of the 
ends of said tube. D designates a bed of rubber or 
other elastic material, which occupies a portion of the 
tube, A y and is provided with pockets or depressions 
in which are seated the rubber balls, Ey which, as will 



PNEUMATIC AND CUSHION TIRES. 3 X 3 

be seen, are arranged side by side throughout the tube 
and are solid or hollow as desired. F designates a 
rim or plate of metal or other rigid material, which is 
located within the tube, A, at the inner periphery 
thereof, and having secured to it the spokes, G, of 
the wheel, of which the tire constitutes a part, said 
spokes passing from said rim to the opening formed 
by the ends of the tube. Interposed between the rim, 
F, and the balls, F, is a piece or strip, H, of felt 
or other fabric or soft material, forming a cushion, 
and preventing contact of balls and ribs. 

" It will be seen that balls are held in position 
within the tube, owing to the pockets of the seat, and 
thus prevented from shifting, and as said balls and 
the seat are elastic in their nature, access is had to 
the balls for removal of the same, or other purposes, 
by loosening the lacing and separating the tube, when 
the balls and bed may be displaced, the same being true 
of the spokes, rim, and j contiguous cushion ; it being 
also evident that when the bed, etc., is placed within 
the tube, the latter may be closed around the same 
and secured by the lacing, B, the parts thus being re- 
tained in position and the structure of the tube pre- 
served. Having thus described my invention, what I 
claim is new, and desire by letters patent is : First : 
a tire consisting of a tube with pocketed bed and balls 
therein, said balls resting in said bed, substantially as 
described. Second : a tire having a divided tube of 
flexible or elastic material, with means for lacing or 
connecting the ends of the same, substantially as de- 
scribed. Third : a tire consisting of a tube with balls 
and a spoke-attaching rim therein, said rim being 



314 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

located between the balls and inner periphery of the 
tube, substantially as described. Fourth : a tire con- 
sisting of a tube with a pocketed bed, balls in said 
bed and a spoke-attaching rim therein, substantially 
as described. Fifth : a tire consisting of a tube with 
balls, a spoke-attaching rim, and a cushion therein, the 
latter being between said balls and rim, substantially 
as described. Sixth : a tire consisting of a tube with a 
pocketed bed, balls in said bed, and a spoke-attaching 
rim, said tube being divided and provided with means 
for closing the same, substantially as described." 

The Scott pneumatic tire is very light, the rubber 
arch being fixed in a groove by means of wires. " The 



RfM 




Scott Pneumatic Tire. 

bed of the tire is very slightly hollow, and the groove 
for the wire is shallow. The air chamber is continu- 
ous, and the outer cover is backed with canvas, and 
has small beads at the edges. These are not wholly 
contained in the grooves, but the edge of the cover 
goes round the wire from the inside, so that the bead 
is clipped between the wire and the edge of the rim. 



PNEUMATIC AND CUSHION TIRES. 3 1 5 

The ends of the wire are drawn together by a right 
and left handed screw, into the center of which a short 
lever engages, which tightens and slacks it easily and 
effectively. In another pattern, the outer cover is 
brought round the edge of the rim and wired into 
grooves underneath, the wires being held in place by 
a thin supplementary rim, which is screwed down on 
to them. The rim is shallow, and the shape of the 
tire is rather oval than round. The system of repair 
is undoubtedly very easy and rapid, for, the tire being 
deflated, the outer cover and canvas casing can be 
unhooked from the rim and the air tube left bare/' 

The Seddon pneumatic tire is fixed in place by a 
wire. " The air tube is of a specially patented ma- 
terial, which, while unstretchable as to its length, is 
stretchable as to its breadth. Over this is placed a 
rubber arch having in either edge a long rim with a 
hook coupling, which is fixed by means of a very sim- 
ple tool, which can be made part and parcel of an 
ordinary wrench by certain ingenious devices in the 
method of construction. The tire, when blown up, be- 
comes of an egg-shaped section, the part in contact 
with the ground being much sharper than the rim end. 
The slightly flattened sides and the narrower tread 
reduce materially the tendency to slip, the available 
cushioning space is considerably greater than that of 
any other tire of the same dimensions, while the rim 
affords extra support along its edges, and its center, 
being slightly convex, throws up the air chamber. 
One of the most singular points about the Seddon 
tire is the fact that there are two tubes or bladders, 
one normally inflated by one valve, another being de- 



3*6 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

flated and lying flat, only to be inflated if the first 
should be punctured, the very slight addition to the 
weight being amply recompensed by the added 
security." 

The advantages claimed for this tire are : " i. A 
greater depth of available cushioning area than any 
tire in the market, and a consequent increase in speed 
and ease of running. 2. By means of the system of 
fastening the cover, the air tube can be removed there- 




Seddon Pneumatic Tire. 

from in less than a minute, and replaced in three 
minutes. 3. The canvas bag of the older systems is 
dispensed with entirely, the only canvas used being an 
insertion of specially prepared flexible web in the 
outer cover. This plan has 'been found to work ex- 
tremely well in practice, increasing the resilience of 
the tire, while avoiding the complication of unneces- 
sary parts. 4. There is a second air chamber, which 
can at once be inflated through an independent valve 
in the event of the inflated air tube becoming punc- 
tured. 5. It is less of a mudslinger than other tires, 



PNEUMA TIC AND CUSHION TIRES. 317 

from its narrower ground -bearing surface, and also 
for the same reason it is almost perfectly free from 
side slip. 6. Its great depth, and the fact that the 
cover is of molded rubber, make it possible for the 
tire to be ridden as a cushion tire in the unlikely- 
event of both air chambers being punctured. This 
will not damage either rim or tire. 

The Singer wired cushion tire has so small a 
hole that it is almost solid. "It is compressed, not 
stretched on the rim. It is more elastic. No cement 
is used. It cannot come off accidentally. The wire 
is of specially strong quality. It is passed through the 
hole in the center of the rubber and its ends are inter- 
woven. As the tire is longer than the circumference 
of the felloe, its ends are joined by compression. 
On a 30-inch wheel, the tire, instead of being several 
inches shorter than the circumference of the felloe — 
as is the case with tires that are stretched and ce- 
mented on — is four inches longer than the circumfer- 
ence of the felloe. This gives us about twenty-five 
per cent, more rubber than they have, forming a very 
decided elastic cushion. The rubber will not as easily 
cut, and any cut made will be pressed together, not 
distended under tension. 

"The tire may be pushed aside sufficiently to admit 
of the putting in of a spoke. It is made of the very best 
soft rubber, i|-inch diameter, and the chief object of 
having a hole through it is to admit of its being fixed, 
without stretching in the rim, by means of wire, in- 
stead of the unsatisfactory cement usually employed 
for fixing tires. Thus, a very shallow felloe can be 
safely used, and this renders a large part of the tire 



3i« 



WHEELS AND WHEELING. 



effective, the shape of the rim entirely preventing 
danger of cutting. We also secure a neater, safer, 
and more elastic tire than the ordinary style of cushion, 
the lower half of which is confined in the felloe, and 




Fig. 3. 

Singer Wired Cushion Tire. 



is useless except for the purpose of cementing it to 
the rim. It also needs to be stretched upon the rim 
instead of being compressed, as is the case with the 
Singer wired cushion. Fig. i shows the ii-inch tire 
before it is fixed to the rim. The sections of rim and 



PNE UMA TIC A ND CUSHION TIRES. 3 1 9 

tire do not correspond, so that when fixed the tire 
assumes a slightly irregular form, to prevent its rolling 
in the felloe. Fig. 2 shows the tire when fixed by the 
wire, C. Fig. 3 shows an ordinary i^-inch cushion tire. 
The effective part of the tire, A B, which is above the 
line, A A, is not so deep as the corresponding part in 
Figs. 1 and 2, although the diameter of the former is 
greater. The cemented i|-inch cushion tire, being 
stretched some 9 inches when on the rim, has its diame- 
ter thus diminished ; whereas, the i^-inch wired cush- 
ion is compressed into the rim, which has a tendency 
to increase its diameter." 

The Smith patent detachable balloon tire " con- 
sists of, substantially, an air tube, fitted with a 
suitable valve, and inserted through an opening in a 
casing of leather and rubber (instead of canvas and 
rubber), the whole being then laced on to the rim. It 
may be readily detached from the rim in case of 
puncture, and, if need be, sent for repair, or the rider 
may execute the repair himself by sticking on a patch." 
Moreover, "this tire can be ' laced' on any existing 
pneumatic or cushion rim without any alteration to 
wheel ; can be readily detached, and the air tube 
withdrawn in case of puncture or repairs. It is made 
in three sizes : i-|-inch, if-inch and 2-inch." 

To fix the tire on the wheel, n unscrew the elbow or 
pump connection of the stem of valve, pass the stem 
through the hole in the rim, then screw the elbow 
back in its place. If the tire is found to fit tight on 
the rim, tie the tire on each side of the valve with a 
strong piece of string, then pull on gradually from 
each side until the tire is completely on the wheel. 



320 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

Then commence to lace the tire, as shown in sketch, 
(cross lacing), using two laces, viz. : one laced over 
the other. To inflate the tire, first unscrew the elbow 
a few turns, then screw the pump on the side of the 
elbow (removing the dust cap) ; when the tire is fully 
inflated disconnect the pump, then screw up the elbow 
tight to its seating. To deflate the tire, unscrew the 





Smith Pneumatic Tire. 

elbow a few turns, and press the steel ball inward, 
and replace the dust cap. 

" To preserve and to obtain the best results from 
this tire, it is absolutely necessary to have the tire 
inflated hard when in use. The air pressure can be 
reduced by the valve when not at work ; riding a 
slack tire will often injure the same beyond repair, 
and render it more liable to puncture. 



PNEUMATIC AND CUSHION TIRES. 32 1 

" In case of puncture, unlace the tire from the 
wheel, and should the position of the injury be known, 
it is only necessary to lift up the flaps or wings of the 
under side of the tire about seven or eight inches to 
enable the ' operator' to pull out sufficient of the air 
tube to patch the same ; to do this, the surface of the 
air tube and the vulcanized rubber patch should be 
scraped or sandpapered perfectly clean, after which well 
rub the two surfaces with a thick coat of solution which 
can be laid on with the finger ; allow the solution to 
dry for about ten minutes, then press the patch down 
with a roller or weight. 

" If the position of the leakage is not known, undo 
the case near the valve about six to eight inches, 
test the angle of the joints by dipping the finger in 
water and running a little around the two joints 
(taking great care not to wet or damp the case). If 
the joints show any air bubbles, the joint must be 
undone and rejointed with solution. If, on the other 
hand, they are sound, the flaps of the case must be 
lifted up all the way around and the air bag taken 
out and tested in a vessel of water ; the damaged parts 
will be shown by the air bubbles, which should be 
marked with an ink pencil, and when the tube is per- 
fectly dry the parts can be patched as above. 

" To replace a spare air tube the modus operandi 
would be as above, viz.: undo the flaps all the way 
round, place the air tube in the tire, solution the sides 
of the flaps, allowing a few minutes for the solution to 
become tacky, after which fasten them down over the 
air tube, care being taken to keep the flaps or the 
channel of the tire regular in width to suit the size of 



322 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

the rim. We recommend this plan of replacing the 
air tube, rather than unjointing the tube and replac- 
ing by putting the tube in the tire by the aid of a cord, 
as there is no risk of having unsound joints in the air 
tube. 

" Do not cut any portion of the leather stitching or 
linen, as provision is fully made for all kinds of repair 
without cutting away any part of the tire. The tire 
should on no account be placed in water, or it will in- 
jure the inside of case. The air tube itself must be 
taken out of the case, if found necessary to test it in 
water. To avoid punctures, examine the tire after 
riding and, if any cuts are found, carefully clean all 
grit or dirt from the cut, then fill up with solution and 
allow the same to dry before pressing parts together." 

The Stelfox patent cushion tire and rim " requires 
no inflating ; cannot burst or come off in riding, and 




Stelfox Cushion Tire. 

no cement is required. The i^-inch and ij-inch are 
perfect cushion tires, the whole being of one uniform 
thickness throughout, so why ride imperfect cushions 
at the same price ? The 2-inch is unsurpassed for life, 
resilience, comfort, durability, freedom from vibration, 



PNEUMATIC AND CUSHION TIRES. 



323 



as easy riding as the pneumatic, and may be cut to 
ribbons and still ridden with comfort." 

The Strauss patent pneumatic tire has as a fea- 
ture " the method of fastening it to the rim. The im- 
portance of a proper fastening is not to be overlooked. 
There are a number of different styles of attaching 
tires, but in ours we have made it a point to attach it 




Strauss Patent Pneumatic Tire. 

A. Spoke. B. Nut on Spoke. C. Clamp which clamps the outer cover 
against the under side of the Rim D. D. Wheel Rim. E. Outer cover with 
enlarged ends. F. Inner Tube. 



as firmly as possible, as the lateral strain on pneumatic 
tires is greater than is generally supposed. Our tire 
is fastened with a series of little clamps which are fit- 
ted at each spoke. In direct spokes the spoke is thick- 
ened and threaded just at the rim, so that a nut can 
be screwed on it. In tangent spokes the spoke is 
threaded so as to allow the nut to go on. The clamp 
is attached to the spoke, the length of which is de- 



324 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

termined by the distance of the spokes apart. The 
usual size of the clamp is about two inches, and it is 
fastened by the nut adjustment. The clamps for a 30- 
inch wheel weigh, entire, but five ounces. To prevent 
cutting, the tire about the rim is padded with either 
rubber or felt, our company preferring felt, as it is 
lighter and cheaper, although it answers the same 
purpose as rubber. The inner tube is made of two 
pieces of canvas and two coatings of rubber ; that is, 
practically a sandwich with an outer and inner rubber 
covering and a double ply of canvas in the center. 
The outer rubber covering has a thickened outside, 
which is shown in the cut to be of special construc- 
tion. It will be noticed that this outside cover has 
thickened ends, which are marked E in the cut. In 
our tire the inner tube is made of one piece, and there 
is but one pneumatic tire which has this feature, and 
that we do not consider a true pneumatic. This tube 
is absolutely air-proof, because there is employed in 
the tire but one layer of rubber on the inside to sepa- 
rate the layers of canvas, and another also of rubber 
on the outside. All these parts are made separately, 
and in fact carefully prepared. They are vulcanized 
into one solid piece, in which it is impossible for there 
to be any air holes. While our tire is firmly attached 
to the rim, it can be readily attached and detached in 
case of puncture, and can be repaired in a short time. 
The company is prepared to furnish the clamps, so 
that manufacturers will only have to prepare the spoke 
and nut. The tire can be easily fitted. 

" In case of puncture, separate the protection strip 
from the inflated tube, patch it with a piece of rubber 



PNEUMATIC AND CUSHION TIRES. 3 2 5 

in the usual way, replace the protection strip, and the 
tire is ready for use. If the tire is punctured, and it 
is desirous of using at once, wrap adhesive tape around 
the punctured part after the patch is put on, which 
will enable the wheel to be used at once, and until it 
can be repaired permanently." 

The Swindley pneumatic tire, sometimes called 
the Manhole, is said to have " the following com- 
bined advantages — essential to a perfect air tire — 
not possessed by any other tire : (i) Its outer cover 
is permanently fixed to the rim of the wheel and never 
requires to be removed. (2) The air tube or chamber 
can be removed from the cover and reinserted in a 
few seconds by purely mechanical means. (3) No ce- 
ment, solution, tape, or needles and cotton are neces- 
sary in its repair. (4) The tire can be repaired when 
punctured without removing the wheel from the frame 
of the machine. 

" The essential feature of the Swindley tire is a 
hole or slot in the rim of the wheel, through which 
the air tube, made with closed ends, can easily and 
readily be withdrawn and inserted, the hole being 
closed by suitable plates after the air tube is in place. 
Any rim may be used, providing it is strengthened 
where the hole is cut. There is nothing liable to get 
out of order, and the merest novice can withdraw and 
insert the air tube. The facility for repair is so great 
that the tires can be made considerably lighter than 
those at present in use, thereby materially increasing 
the speed. 

" This is essentially the tire for the tourist, as by 
carrying a spare air tube a punctured tire can be put 



326 



WHEELS AND WHEELING. 



right within two minutes under the most adverse cir- 
cumstances. For racing men this tire has no equal 
on account of its superior speed, due to its extreme 
lightness and resiliency. Wheels fitted with the 
Dunlop tire can be fitted a la Swindley at a small 
cost. 

" The principle is exactly and precisely that em- 
ployed in the construction of manholes in steam 




Swindley Pneumatic Tire. 

A. Air Tube. B. Outer Cover. C. Canvas Lining to Cover. D. Rim of 
Wheel, d. Hole or Slot in Rim. E. Internal Closing Plate, e. Stud on 
Closing Plate. e l . Nut for Stud. F. External Closing Plate. 



boilers, the external closing plate, F, answering the pur- 
pose of the ' dog ' of the boiler manhole. The oval hole 
cut through the rim, D, does not weaken the latter in 
any respect, the same being strengthened by the in- 
troduction of the fillets shown. This mechanical re- 
finement can be fitted with any description of inflated 
tire where an independent air tube is employed, and 




PNEUMATIC AND CUSHION TIRES. 3 2 7 

by its adoption the outer rubber cover, B, and the can- 
vas lining or tube, C, are fixtures, and never need re- 
moval or cutting for the purpose of effecting a repair. 
The air tube used is butt-ended, the valve being fixed 
close to one end, and two pieces of strong tape, about 
eight inches long, secured for repair, or the introduc- 
tion of a spare tube. The modus operandi is as follows: 
Any suitable mechanical valve being used, the tube is 
deflated. The nut (e 1 ) is then unscrewed, the external 
closing plate, F, dropping off into the hand. The in- 
ternal closing plate, E, is then withdrawn by means of 
the stud, through the oval hole, and access to the in- 
terior of the tire is gained. A piece of strong whip- 
cord is then tied to the tape fixed to the valveless 
end of the air tube, and the tube is withdrawn from 
the tire by the tape at the other with the greatest ease. 
Now the tube can be repaired, and reintroduced, or 
the spare tube aforesaid substituted. One end of the 
whipcord, which it is obvious has been drawn right 
round the wheel, is attached to the tape at the valve- 
less end of the air tube, which is easily and quickly 
drawn once again into position round the wheel inside 
the tire. The tapes are then tied together closely 
and tucked inside. The internal closing plate is put 
back into its place, the external plate slipped on to 
the stud, the nut (e l ) screwed up, and nothing remains 
but to reinflate, which, with a good pump, is done in 
the shortest possible space of time. The rider, who 
without this attachment would be making tracks for 
the nearest railway station, miserably afoot, is now 
quite ready to resume his journey after a stoppage of 
(even in the case of an entire novice) certainly not 



$2% WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

more than ten minutes. The manhole and covers 
can be fitted to almost any rim. The extreme sim- 
plicity of this invention, and the ease with which the 
dreaded puncture, burst, etc., can be overcome, should 
open out a big future for the Swindley Manhole 
pneumatic. " 

The Tacagni patent pneumatic tire has the 
" outer casing held firmly on to the rim by a duplicate 




Tacagni Pneumatic Tire. 

sectional rim and eyebolts," the "ease with which 
the inner tube can be got at being its special merit." 
The Tillinghast pneumatic tire "is attached and 
detached as easily as a solid or cushion, and requires 
very little attention. Its durability and simplicity 
will commend itself to all riders. The features of 
this tire are : the manner of attaching to the rim ; the 
cushion to prevent chafing against the rim ; the braided 
covering for the air tube ; the re-enforcing of the 
canvas in the tread, and the perfect valve, making an 
air-tight and exceptionally light, resilient, and strong 
tire, that will not puncture or burst, and will be free 
from internal chafing of the parts, so troublesome in 
other pneumatic tires. 



PNEUMA TIC AND CUSHION TIRES. 3 2 9 

"The construction of this tire is most simple, and 
combines simplicity, strength, durability, and elasticity 
— qualities not found in any other tire. In pneumatic 
tires, as heretofore made, the air tube is inclosed in 
canvas windings or wrappings, which are non-expansible 
both longitudinally and laterally. The air tube is 
made of pure rubber and inclosed in a seamless 
braided linen tube of special make, which is slightly 
expansible laterally, and will give life to the tire by 




TlLLINGHAST PNEUMATIC TlRE. 

its longitudinal, expansible, and compressible qualities. 
It is more pliable than canvas and much stronger, and 
as yielding as pure rubber. The seamless braided 
tube which incloses the air tube has withstood a test 
of over 300 pounds ; we have tested our complete tire 
to 80 pounds hydraulic pressure without injury, and 
every tire sent out by us will be tested and guaranteed 
to stand a pressure of 50 pounds per square inch, and 
will be air-tight. 



33° WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

"It has been found that from 15 to 25 lbs. is suffi- 
cient pressure for front tire and 25 to 30 lbs. for the 
rear, and the racing tire will never be pumped higher 
than 35 or 40 lbs., as it would then be so hard that no 
impression could be made on it ; while it would be 
better than a solid or cushion, the rider would derive 
very little benefit from the tire, as it would be too 
hard to cushion properly, and would cause both ma- 
chine and rider to bound into the air in striking un- 
even surfaces of the road. These tires will not weigh 
over 5| lbs. per pair, yet they have withstood the 
roughest usage possible to give them. 

" The attachment is- attached in a similar manner to 
a solid, and is described in detail : Drill ^ inch hole in 
the rim to receive valve tube ; coat rim with cement ; 
lay on felt and apply cement to felt, taking care to 
keep cement from the felt for a distance of \ inch 
from its edges. Remove sulphur (with file or sand- 
paper) from surface of tire to be cemented. Put 
valve tube through opening and spring tire into 
place ; inflate tire to round it out. Should the valve 
tube be to one side or the tire unevenly stretched, 
strike glancing blows on the tire, and ' creep ' it into 
place. Cover valve tube with wet cloth, and heat rim 
with flame while wheel is revolving. If valve leaks 
take it out, and pump several drops of clean water 
through it ; if air escapes around washer under plug, 
partly unscrew same and wash away grit, etc., and 
screw down while wet. 

" Repairs are easily and quickly made. There is 
little danger of a puncture, even if the tire picks up a 
dozen tacks or pins, and in case of a tack or pin pene- 



PNEUMATIC AND CUSHION TIRES, 33 * 

trating the air chamber, pull it out and the hole will 
close itself ; this may seem strange, but it is neverthe- 
less true, and is easily explained : the inner tube is not 
stretched as in most tires, but is compressed against 
the non-expansible cover, and the sides of a small 
hole such as made with a pin or tack will be forced 
together and prevent leakage. If the hole be made 
with a nail, it can be repaired in a very few minutes 
by using a small cement-injecting tool (patent applied 
for) similar to awoodscrew ; fill the threads with rubber 
cement and force the tool straight through the hole, 
then unscrew it ; the sides of the opening will remove 
the cement from the threads of the tool, leaving a 
quantity of cement in the air chamber, and all the 
way through the opening ; place a small coin or other 
hard substance over opening to prevent the escape of 
cement ; bind with tape, inflate, and your tire is 
ready for use. Tape can be removed as soon as 
cement is dry/' 

In the Union pneumatic tire/' the principal feature is 
the method of fastening the tire to the rim, which is 
entirely original and has been tested with gratifying 
results. The edges of the outer rubber covering are 
well protected by strips of canvas vulcanized on and 
reaching to a sufficient distance around both edges to 
preclude any liability of tearing. These edges are 
clamped between an inner rim of steel with beaded 
edges and the rim proper, which is also provided with 
a bead in order that no charing or cutting may take 
place. Clamping screws around the rim draw both 
pieces together with a grip which no accident can re- 
lease. In case of puncture, the outer covering can be 



33* 



WHEELS AND WHEELING. 



removed in a very short space^of time without interfer- 
ing with the spokes or finish of the wheel in any way, 
by loosening the nuts sufficiently to allow of the en- 
larged edge of the outer covering to be withdrawn. 
This will expose the inner tube, which may be entirely 
removed if necessary. The valve, which has been de- 
signed to do away with all liability of leakage, is in 
three pieces, and its construction is simplicity itself ; 
the joints are made tight by leather or rubber washers. 




Union Pneumatic Tire. 

It can be instantly deflated by half a turn on the clos- 
ing valve, and is protected by a cap which fits over 
the opening after all has been secured, thus doubly 
locking it. Another point has been considered, namely, 
the protection of the inner air tubes against damage 
from coming in contact with the spoke heads or any 
unevenness caused by fitting spokes through the 
second rim. This is a feature the advantage of which 
will be readily seen and appreciated. " 



PNEUMATIC AND CUSHION TIRES. 



333 



The Victor cushion tire differs from most cushions 
in design, being an arch of rubber. " Radial elasticity, 
lateral stiffness, toughness and wearing quality of rub- 
ber are three essential constituents of a good cycle tire. 
Under test, the Victor cushion far surpassed all others 
in these requirements. 

"The Victor cushion tire is a simple arch of rubber 
extending from edge to edge of the rim. Its side 




Victor Cushion Tire. 

walls are held against spreading by side flanges having 
rounded edges, which also the tire is constructed to 
cover and protect. The bases of the tire rest upon a 
horizontal rim-bed which aids materially in givinglateral 
stiffness to the tire and strength to the hollow rim. 
It is evident that the rubber must displace inwardly 
under pressure. The movement of the rubber is there- 
fore almost wholly radial, which fact accounts for 
the great elasticity of the Victor cushion tires, and, 
moreover, allows us to use rubber of the proper degree 
of toughness and density for cycle use." 



334 WHEELS AND WHEELING, 

The Victor pneumatic tire " is the Swindley in- 
vention which lias been for months past experimented 
with and perfected by the Overman Wheel Co. It is 
in all practical points like the best pneumatic tires, 
but is so made that an inner tube made with closed 
ends can, by opening a small slide in rim, be instantly 
taken out and replaced in case of puncture. The 
tires are 2-inch, with thickened tread re-enforced 
by linen canvas, and the inner tube, slightly smaller, 
made of finest Para rubber. 

" The work of opening the tire, removing the inner 
tube and replacing it with another, including the time 
of inflating, has been done in less than four minutes. 
The fittings to the opening in the rim are very neat 
and compact, and the whole operation of removing 
the inner tube is done with the fingers only, no tools 
being required. A rider using this tire may have an 
extra inner tube in his bag which can be used to re- 




Webr Cushion Tire. 

place a punctured one without causing serious delay 
on the road." 



PNEUMATIC AND CUSHION TIRES. 335 

The Webb cushion tire is here illustrated, " show- 
ing the webbing or spokes of rubber which sup- 
port the outer walls of the tire, and as the holes 
formed by the webbing are not inflated with air, it will 
be a matter of no consequence whatever how often or 
how deep the tire becomes cut. The tires will be 
made endless and in two sizes, \\ and \\ inches 
in diameter, and will weigh about, the same as \ 
and i inch tires respectively, and add but a very few 
pounds to the weight of the machine." 

The Wright protector for pneumatic tires " consists 
of sheet steel and leather. The steel is extremely 




Wright Pneumatic Tire Protector. 

thin, as thin, indeed, as the finest watch springs, 
and beautifully, tempered. It is cut up into round- 
cornered strips, some 2 inches long and \\ inch wide, 
and then, each strip overlapping its neighbor, they are 
made up with leather binding and small brass rivets, 
like the laths of a Venetian blind, into bands suffi- 
ciently long to encircle the wheel. The finished 
article yields in every direction, the action of the 
strips much resembling, on a very sharp bend, that 
of a lobster's tail. On pressure being removed, the 
strips fly back instantly to their normal position, with 
far greater promptitude and certainty than even 



33 6 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

rubber itself, so that it rather helps than retards the 
resiliency of the tire. In actual use, however, it is 
not called upon to undergo any such sharp bendings, 
for, as it is placed just inside the outer covering of the 
tire, it is only slightly arched, while, when it is at the 
bottom of the wheel, and the weight on it, it is prac- 
tically not bent at all, for the tire is flattened out, and 
forms almost an arch over it. The sides of the tire 
are perfectly free and unconfined, the width of the 
protectors being just sufficient to cover the * tread' of 
the tire, i. e., that portion of it which, when flattened 
out, will be in contact with the ground, and through 
which any punctures would have to be made. So far 
as we can see, it provides absolute protection from 
punctures from outside causes, and bits of glass, 
thorns, pins, nails, and such-like i items ' are powerless 
for harm to a machine so fitted ; here we may note 
that on one occasion Mr. Wright had his attention 
called to a nail in his tire, and found that a long nail 
had entered it, turned on the protector, and come out 
at another place without harming the inner tube. Of 
course, when metal is spoken of in connection with a 
tire, the thought at once occurs as to its effect on 
resiliency. Our experience, however, leads us to con- 
clude that resiliency is not affected in any way, while 
that of the inventor is even more conclusive. The 
only objection which a theoretical reasoning can urge 
against the use of the protectors is the possibility of 
damage to the tire by internal friction, but when the 
thing is looked at fairly and squarely, it will be seen 
that the movement is exceedingly slight.'* 



OUR ADVERTISERS. 



AVERY & JENNESS. 

The firm of Avery & Jenness, of Chicago, are 
well known to the trade, and to wheelmen generally, 
as having put in the market that most excellent little 
article called the Chicago spoke grip. It has found 
a ready sale, owing to its good qualities, and is 
handled throughout the country by dealers and agents 
generally. There is hardly a more essential tool be- 
longing to every cyclist's outfit than a spoke grip, and 
a good one is very necessary. The Chicago effect- 
ually grips all direct spokes, and the ordinary sizes 
of square, round, and hexagon nipples; it is made 
with a differential screw giving far greater power than 
the common grips ; it is also made of hardened steel, 
polished and nickeled ; it has rcund corners for con- 
venience in carrying in the pocket ; it will hold a 
spoke firmly without a monkey wrench to tighten it; 
and it is warranted to stand any legitimate use. 

THE BICYCLING WORLD. 

The Bicycling World is the oldest cycling paper in 
America, having been founded December 22, 1877, 
under the name of The American Bicycling Journal, 
with F. W. Weston (" Papa ") as the sole editor and pro- 

337 



33% WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

prietor, and with Cunningham Heath & Co. as the first 
and only advertisers of cycles. Under the title Amer- 
ican Bicycling Journal eighteen numbers were issued 
from December, 1877, to November, 1879, and shortly 
after this the paper was changed to the Bicycling World, 
edited and managed by Charles E. Pratt, and from be- 
ing issued as the spirit moved it became a regular 
semi-monthly, and for a time took up archery. 
During 1880 Mr. E. C. Hodges became interested in 
the paper, and in November, 1880, the paper was 
changed to a weekly. In the issue of August 21, 1880, 
the World for the first time made its announcement 
that it was the official organ of v the League of Amer-. 
ican Wheelmen — a position it held until May, 1883. 
In January, 1881, Louis Harrison's name appeared as 
co-editor with Mr. Pratt, and in February of the same 
year Mr. Pratt retired from the editorship, leaving Mr. 
Harrison as sole editor. Mr. Harrison only retained 
the editorship for a few months, retiring July, 1881, in 
favor of Mr. W. E. Gilman. On January 29, 1882, 
Mr. J. S. Dean's name appears for the first time as one 
of the editorial staff. 

Mr. Gilman retired in February, 1883, and Mr. Dean 
took the chief editorial chair, and at the same time 
the name of Mr. C. W. Fourdrinier appeared on the 
World's staff. In the number of February 15, 1884, 
Mr. Abbot Bassett's name appeared as managing editor, 
with Mr. Dean as chief, and Mr. Fourdrinier as con- 
tributing editor. The latter's name was dropped from 
the editorial staff in January, 1885, and Mr. Dean's 
name was also dropped in May, 1885, thus leaving Mr. 
Bassett in sole control. On April 20, 1886, Mr. 



O UR. AD VER TISERS. 339 

Bassett retired from the editorship of the World, and 
Mr. C. W. Fourdrinier took the editorship and man- 
agement, and associated with him J. S. Dean and F. 
W. Weston. The latter gentleman retired after a few 
months' valuable service. From that time until the 
present Mr. Fourdrinier has had charge, ably assisted 
by Mr. Dean and later by F. A. Egan and J. W. Cart- 
wright, Jr. 

On March 2, 1888, the World had appeared again as 
the official organ of the League, which position it has 
held ever since, This, briefly, is the history of the 
" Nestor " of cycling journalism in America. 

GEO. R. BIDWELL CYCLE CO. 

The Geo. R. Bidwell Cycle Co. is one of the oldest 
houses in the trade. Mr. Bidwell began business at 
No. 4 East 60th Street, New York, in 1884, at which 
time there was only one other exclusive bicycle dealer 
in the city. The business grew rapidly and "Bidwell's " 
soon became the recognized depot, to which everyone 
in New York and vicinity resorted when in need of a 
bicycle or an accessory. 

When the Citizens' Bicycle Club vacated its club- 
house at 313 West 58th Street, Mr. Bidwell took pos- 
session of it, and transferred his business to the west 
side of town, a location more convenient to the best 
drives and roads. Here the business again rapidly 
outgrew its accommodations, and in the spring of 1890 
the present commodious structure on 59th Street was 
erected, the old building being retained as a shipping 
room and repair shop. 

The new building, with its seventy-five feet of front- 



34-0 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

age and hundred of depth, affords fine warerooms 
for the display of bicycles, and the most complete 
renting, storage, and locker departments possessed by 
any dealer in the country, while the variety of wheels 
always in stock enables any taste or pocket to be 
readily supplied. By the end of 1890 the business 
had increased so greatly that Mr. Bidwell was unable 
to longer look after its details, and the Geo. R. 
Bidwell Cycle Co. was accordingly incorporated in 
January, 1891, with a capital stock of one hundred 
thousand dollars, A. C. D. Loucks, an old-time cycler, 
becoming secretary, and Geo. S. Adams, treasurer, 
with Mr. Bidwell holding the office of president. 

The new company's first important move was to 
put on the market a new wheel called the Tourist, 
the plans of which were prepared by the company, 
the wheel being manufactured for them by Wm. Bown, 
of Birmingham, England. Its merits made it a ready 
seller, and purchasers had only words of praise for it. 

The delays and annoyances attending the impor- 
tation of the Tourist persuaded the company to con- 
sider the possibility of manufacturing an equally high 
grade wheel in this country. The result of their in- 
vestigation and experimentation led to the making of 
a contract with the Colt Fire Arms Co., of Hartford, 
Conn., for the construction of a bicycle that both com- 
panies believe will be without an equal on either side 
of the ocean. The unsurpassed facilities of the Colt 
Arms Co., and its great experience in producing the 
most highly finished products in metal, together with 
new methods used in the treatment of the material 
entering into the construction of the bicycle, insure 



OUR ADVERTISERS. 34 1 

for the new 1892 Tourist a perfection in every part 
that few other manufacturers can hope to attain. 

The company also put on the market in 1892 a 
moderate-priced wheel of excellent quality, called the 
Student, for which but one hundred dollars are 
asked, fitted with cushion tires. 

Early in 1891 the Bidwell Co. obtained the exclu- 
sive right to manufacture pneumatic tires under the 
Thomas patents, and immediately began a series of 
tests and experiments that enabled them in the fall to 
put on the market a tire guaranteed against bursting 
and leakage, and possessing great resiliency and en- 
durance. It was brought to the attention of the 
manufacturers throughout the country by Mr. F. N. 
White of the Bidwell Co., and its evident high quality 
secured for it orders so large as to be eminently 
satisfactory to its introducers. 

In addition to its wheel business, the Bidwell 
Co. also carry a large line of bicycle accessories, and 
manufacture the well known Perfection Alarm, Bidwell 
Cyclometer, Perfection Tire Heater, and other 
standard specialties. 

COVENTRY MACHINISTS CO., LTD. 

Back in the early sixties there was a time of great 
commercial depression in Coventry, England, owing 
to the decline and failure of the trades located there, 
and many people were leaving the town, while many 
of those who remained were suffering for common 
necessities. It was proposed to raise a subscription 
for the benefit of these people, but some objected to 
this, and determined instead, in order to provide 



342 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

occupation for some of the sufferers, to start a busi- 
ness for the manufacture of sewing machines. They 
began in a modest way with the capital of ^5000, 
and premises were ready at hand in a disused ribbon 
factory. This was in 1863, and some five or six years 
later they commenced, at the instigation of their man- 
ager, Mr. Turner, to construct a few wooden-wheeled 
bicycles, or velocipedes, after the manner of a machine 
which had been brought over from France. In these 
machines they, for a time, did a considerable business, 
until the introduction of the " spider" wheel, with steel 
spokes and rims, opened up a new development. They 
began the manufacture of the new-fashioned wheel 
and at once gained a place in the front rank with the 
Gentleman's Bicycle. Since then the company has 
progressed steadily. While not rushing after new- 
fangled notions, it has never been behindhand in 
inventing and adopting improvements likely to be of 
either service or use. It was among the first to recog- 
nize the importance of the American trade and to open 
here a depot of its own. They opened a branch in 
Boston, locating on Columbus Avenue, and to this street 
the other Boston houses have since generally moved, 
so that now it is the Holborn Viaduct of Boston, 
just as it is predicted Eighth Avenue will soon be of 
New York. They were also about the first to make in 
entirety the whole of their wheels, including balls and 
other minor parts, which many were for years content 
to buy ready-made elsewhere. 

The works at Cheylesmore, Coventry, are conven- 
iently situated close to the center of the town, and 
quite near to the railway station, and yet surrounded 



OUR ADVERTISERS. 343 

by fresh air and light. A very handsome frontage of 
red brick and stucco is emblazoned with the name of 
the firm in large gold letters, together with the Prince 
of Wales* feathers — a sign that the company have sup- 
plied their wheels to His Royal Highness and his 
family. 

The machines of the Coventry Machinists Co., known 
as the Swift and Club, are of the be,st class and have 
the highest reputation. The Company have never 
catered for trade other than the very best, and have 
never put out cheap cycles. 

At the end of 1891, recognizing the increase of the 
cycle business, the Company decided to open a branch 
house in Chicago, with Mr. A. J. Marrett as its 
manager, to supply the Western part of the country. 
The two branch houses work in harmony, Mr. Hill, 
of Boston, appointing agents throughout the Eastern 
and Southern States, and Mr. Marrett, of Chicago, 
throughout the Central and Western States. 

GORMULLY & JEFFERY MANUFACTURING 
COMPANY. 

In the year 1879, bicycles were manufactured in 
Chicago by one of the members of the present Gor- 
mully & Jeffery Mfg. Co., personally, and with his 
own employees, and his business developed into the 
immense concern of the present day. The company 
can thus claim to have been personally engaged in the 
manufacture of bicycles, directly, through the person 
of one of their own members, longer than any other 
concern in the country, though another house had be- 



344 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

gun to have bicycles built for them in 1878 by a man- 
ufacturing concern in Connecticut. 

These early bicycles of 1879 were of the high-wheel 
pattern, containing the improvements of hollow forks, 
rubber tires, and ball bearings to both wheels, all of 
which have since proved essential in high-grade wheel 
construction. 

Smaller and cheaper bicycles were manufactured by 
the same manufacturer at the same place, and in the 
succeeding year improved machines were being made, 
and another of the company's principal stockholders 
united with the first, and erected suitable factory 
buildings, further improvements being made in the 
machines and larger quantities of bicycles sold. 

This brings us to the year in which the machines 
called the Ideal and Youth's Ideal bicycles were 
made for the critical youths of that age, and later 
years saw them manufacturing the Ideal Tricycle 
and the American Safety bicycle, in addition to 
the Youth's Ideal and the Ideal. The American 
Safety bicycle of those days was very popular, for it 
was the first machine that placed the rider somewhat 
nearer the ground than the position he occupied on 
the ordinary. The machine was built in a firstclass 
manner, having ball bearings not only in its wheels, 
but to the foot levers. It was built without hollow 
forks in 1885, in which year was issued the seventh 
annual price list, directing attention to the American 
Challenge, a novelty for that year, in which was first 
introduced the long bearing distance features at the 
neck axle bearing, the aim being in all cases to produce 
the longest distance between the bearings possible to 



OUR ADVERTISERS. 345 

be made in the limits of space allowed. In their cat- 
alogue of 1885 are shown various groups of handle bars 
that are interchangeable on the wheels, which are the 
first specimens of detachable handle bars shown in any 
catalogue, which detachable features proved later to 
be indispensable in all makes of ordinaries. 

The year 1886 produced the then very popular 
bicycle called the American Champion, made on 
lines like the Challenge, but lightened somewhat, 
having the front forks hollow and the backbone of 
lighter gauge tubing. In this year was added to 
their general line of sundries (which was established 
almost at the outset) the manufacture of bicycle 
lanterns and cyclists' leather goods — saddles, belts, 
etc., so that they were pioneers not only in the con- 
struction of bicycles, but also in the construction of 
bicycle lanterns and cyclists' sundries. The manu- 
facture of lanterns has been constantly improved and 
enlarged until, at the present time, what was a side 
industry is in itself a large established manufacturing 
business. 

The beginning of the ensuing year saw the founders, 
with all their stock, machinery, and appliances, merge 
into a corporate firm, known as the Gormully & Jeffery 
Mfg. Co., with no substantial change of management 
or methods of doing business. The production 
continued, as in previous years, to improve. Greater 
knowledge was gained, and as the wants of the increas- 
ing army of cyclists became known and an increased 
output was needed, new buildings were erected and a 
greater number of employees provided with room and 
machinery. This year saw for the first time the 



346 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

Ram's-Horn handle bar, the ratchet adjustment to 
ball bearings and the polygonal pedals held on an 
angular bar, to prevent their turning. It also saw the 
Perfect Fit handle, the style so very popular with the 
high machines. 

In 1888 was produced the Challenge Tandem, 
a two-track, front-steering vehicle for two riders, in- 
troducing the novel feature of one rider being not 
exactly in line with the other, so that the rear rider 
could see in front of him, without leaning much side- 
ways. The driving wheels, which were geared differ- 
entially, so that both could drive, and were free to 
turn corners, were placed wide enough apart to track 
with ordinary wagons and buggies ; hence could be 
used to run along in ruts formed by heavier wheels, 
and could be seen scattered over the United States 
on tours through roads impassable for any other kind 
of tricycle or bicycle, and being made strong enough 
for use on the rough Western roads were used largely for 
picnic parties, and have been known to carry, besides 
two adult riders, two children, on seats extemporized, 
together with a substantial package of' viands for a 
day's outing for an entire family. The owner of one 
of these machines, at least, was known to have rigged 
thereon, by means of two upright posts at each side, 
an awning, designed to shelter both drivers from the 
sun's rays. This Challenge Tandem was the first 
illustration of the use of an extended wheel base, the 
forward steering wheel being twelve inches in advance 
of the usual position. A smaller tandem for children 
was made this year with the same general features, 
and also the first rear-driven Safety, named the 



OUR ADVERTISERS. 347 

American Rambler. Its general construction and 
form differed only in minor details from the preced- 
ing Safety. It had spring rear fork, the reduced front 
wheel, the long steering and bearing distances and 
the overhung chain wheel. The then popular solid 
tire has been superseded by the various hollow tires ; 
but this is the principal change that time has shown 
necessary, proving that the thought expended in the 
production of this machine was rightly directed, and it 
is probably an instance of the longest duration of any 
one type or pattern through the years of rapid changes 
which succeeded the year 1887. 

The year 1889 saw the Ideal Rambler substantially 
as made at this day, except that the tires were of 
smaller dimensions, and the American Rambler, 
with a new pattern of backbone, dropped to accom- 
modate ladies, as now made. It also saw for the first 
time the drop-forged chains as now made, with the 
studs on which the strain of the chain is exerted and 
on which the links pivot, made in one piece with the 
sides, thus removing the strain from its rivets. 

The year 1890 saw the Rambler improved and 
lightened, the main form and dimensions being sub- 
stantially continued. The simple adjusting features 
of the head bearing appliances, and the methods of 
lap brazing, being then fully tested and approved of, 
were used wherever possible, and led to the aban- 
donment, in every instance, of drop forgings, where 
the lap-joining principle could be adopted. 

The next year saw the continuance of the Rambler 
line of wheels, and the discarding of the ordinary 
wheels. It also saw the adoption of hollow tires in a 



34-8 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

large degree, the former year having been a testing 
year to discover the merits and defects of this pattern. 
In the year 1891 the majority of tires sold were of the 
cushion pattern, whose merit over the solid tire 
consisted mainly in the greater dimensions they 
afforded with the same weight of material. The air 
that was contained in such tire, being uncompressed 
and free to move under the weight of the rider, added 
nothing to the tire's elasticity, and nothing to the ease 
of running on a road that was good for a solid tire. 
On dusty or sandy roads the cushion tire did not sink 
as deeply, and in such places showed an advantage 
over the solid rival. 

Between the beginning of 1891 and 1892 vast 
strides were made in improving the construction of 
tires, the makers taking advantage of the well-known 
elasticity of air under pressure, and adapting the 
tires to stand considerable strain of air pressure, with 
a very light wall of rubber, practically discarding the 
rubber's elasticity, and making use of rubber only as 
a medium for retaining the compressed air, and it 
seems that the year 1892, just commenced, will be 
known as the first year in which air tires will be con- 
sidered popular in the United States. The attempts 
in previous seasons have been somewhat misdirected, 
through a misunderstanding of the qualifications 
necessary for a pneumatic tire ; as, for instance, no 
rapid repair for punctures had been considered, or 
self-healing of punctures thought of, and these the 
inventors of this year will produce. 

Up to the present the introduction of aluminium in 
the parts of bicycles has not been commercially sue- 



OUR ADVERTISERS. 349 

cessful. Some attempts have been made and a degree 
of success attained on mud guards, but the want of a 
reliable solder and a misconception of the qualities 
of this material (which will, without doubt, in time be 
largely used) have operated to prevent the manu- 
facturer from using the valuable element. Doubtless 
within a few years air and aluminium will be very 
largely employed in bicycles. Electricity has not 
been satisfactorily used as a bicycle motor, but the 
storage battery gives an indication of what is possible, 
and when its weight can be materially reduced elec- 
trically propelled bicycles will be the popular steeds 
of the day. 

HULBERT BROS. & CO. 

The firm of Merwin, Hulbert & Co. was changed 
on January i, 1892, to Hulbert Bros. & Co., Mr. 
Merwin having died in 1879. The personnel of the 
new firm remains the same, with the exception of the 
admittance of Mr. Milon H. Hulbert, the firm heing 
composed of Milon Hulbert, W. A. Hulbert and 
Milon H. Hulbert. The firm for twenty years was 
located on Chambers Street, where they carried on 
their extensive business in firearms and ammunition. 
They have now been located at their present address, 
26 West 23d St., for the past five years, having branched 
out into a general sporting goods house, and con- 
tinuing their original business in connection with it. 
They carry the most complete line of bicycles and 
accessories in the city of New York, both in cheap 
and high grade. This branch of the business is not 
only a retail one, but they also do a very large whole- 



35° WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

sale business, they having exclusive agencies for New 
York State and New Jersey on the King of Scorchers, 
Swift, and Eagle ; and also control the wheels manu- 
factured by the Indiana Bicycle Mfg. Co., of Indian- 
apolis, in Eastern New York State, Northern New 
Jersey, and New England. They also manufacture the 
Majestic Safety, which is a strictly high grade wheel, 
listing at ninety dollars with cushion, and one hun- 
dred and fifteen with pneumatics. They originally 
entered the bicycle business in a very small way, but 
it gradually increased until it now forms one of the 
leading departments in their establishment. The 
rapid growth and success of this department have 
been due to the fact of having such wheels and acces- 
sories as the public demanded, and catering to their 
wishes in every possible way. This department is 
in charge of George M. Hendee, who held the one 
mile championship of the United States five years in 
succession. 

OVERMAN WHEEL COMPANY. 

For the past ten years there has been no name bet- 
ter known to American wheelmen than that applied 
by the Overman Wheel Company to all the product of 
their works, and from the outset the designation of 
" Victor " has been synonymous with the best that 
could be procured in material, construction, finish, and 
design. This has become so generally known that 
the utmost confidence has long been felt in the entire 
output of the great works at Chicopee Falls. 

The Overman Wheel Company began the manufac- 
ture of tricycles about 1883, and put on the market in 



OUR ADVERTISERS. 35 I 

that year a machine of excellent quality, and equal in 
all respects to anything that had then been produced. 
In 1884 tne tricycle was improved in several respects, 
the frame being of better shape and the common rack 
and pinion replaced by their ribbon steering, which 
proved to be most delightful in action. In their cat- 
alogue for 1885 they said regarding this machine that 
"the experience of the past year has resulted in some 
improvements in the manner of making certain parts 
of the machine ; notably the ribbon steering has been 
very much improved, and is now so made that it is im- 
possible for it to break, the strain coming on the 
frame instead of the ribbon as heretofore. The ten- 
sion of the steering handle may be regulated to any- 
thing required. The ribbons used are interchange- 
able so that there can be no mistake in putting them 
on. Every part of this device is adjustable for wear. 
The shake and rattle in the steering apparatus of a 
tricycle has been a source of endless annoyance and is 
caused by the rack and pinion construction. When 
rack and pinion steering is used there is necessarily 
lost motion, and as lost motion in the steering allows 
the little wheel to * wobble ' it is evident that the best 
results in speed cannot be attained under such con- 
ditions. The ribbon steering makes the steering of 
the Victor tricycle as rigid as bicycle steering." 

The Victor tricycle thoroughly established the rep- 
utation of the company, so that when they came into 
the market in 1885 with a bicycle they were assured 
of a hearty reception, and their new machine met with 
an instantaneous and almost phenomenal success. 
Their catalogue first describing it announced that 



35 2 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

" the Victor bicycle is interchangeable throughout. 
The value of this feature cannot be overestimated 
when considering the economy of keeping the machine 
in repair, as it enables the rider to replace any part 
with absolutely no fitting, thus avoiding expensive re- 
pairs and unsatisfactory results. Hand work cannot 
compare with machine work for accuracy. Thumb 
measure guesses, while steel measure determines. In 
the manufacture of a machine of which so much is re- 
quired, absolute precision of construction is indispens- 
able. Recognizing these facts, we have during the 
past four years made extensive and elaborate prepara- 
tion for the manufacture of the Victor bicycle. 

" In order to avail ourselves of the experience of 
English riders, and to combine in our machine the 
latest and most improved devices of English manufac- 
ture, we have five times visited Europe. In making 
the Victor bicycle we have tried to include all fea- 
tures of known value to riders. The machine is made 
lighter than the usual roadster, but with no sacrifice 
of strength. It is of steel throughout, and is the first 
bicycle made in America (or abroad so far as we 
know) in which absolutely no cast metal is used. 
It is the first American bicycle made with hollow rims, 
hollow detachable handle bars and tangent spokes. 
We therefore believe that we are entitled to rank as 
first American makers of highest grade bicycles. 

" The tires are compressed, of finest Para molded 
rubber, attached without cement, and cannot come 
loose ; they are so firmly attached that it is impossible 
to pull them out, the rubber tearing before it will part 
with the steel. Many of the accidents which con- 



OUR ADVERTISERS, 353 

stantly happen on account of cemented tires coming 
loose are entirely prevented by our method. Our 
tires are made longer than the rim and compressed 
into it — not contractile, to tear open at every cut — 
and for this reason will wear twice as long as any other 
tire. 

" The comfort of the rider is much increased by the 
greater elasticity of our tire, a seven-eighths being equal 
to a one-inch tire fastened with cement, more of the 
rubber being exposed by our method. Compressed 
tires possess the still further advantage of being quickly 
and surely removed and replaced for the purpose of 
renewing spokes. With no cement it is possible to 
make a wheel entirely true. If the rim is true and the 
rubber true, the wheel when made will be true. This 
is practically impossible with cemented tires, as the 
distribution of cement cannot be entirely equal through- 
out the rim nor the distribution of the stretch of the 
rubber ; therefore, when the cement is heated, the rub- 
ber will crawl about and, by forcing the cement out, 
will leave flat places in the wheel too small for the 
eye to detect, but readily found by placing the wheel 
upon centers. True wheels are better than untrue, 
be the variation ever so slight. The Victor is the only 
bicycle using this feature, as it is owned and controlled 
by us. After testing it for two years we pronounce it 
absolutely perfect and without any objection whatever. 

" While the bearings of a machine are of vital im- 
portance, the world-wide reputation of Bown's ^Eolus 
ball bearings makes it unnecessary for us to call the 
attention of wheelmen to the fact that for perfect ad- 
justment, simplicity of construction, and easy running, 



354 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

they take precedence over all others that have ever 
been used. This was the first adjustable ball bearing 
ever constructed, and more races have been won on 
machines having these bearings than on all other ma- 
chines combined. They.have been used for six years 
with unparalleled success, and, though imitated by 
makers in this country and England, have never been 
equaled. These bearings possess the following advan- 
tages : First, minimum friction; second, means of per- 
fect adjustment; third, little attention; fourth, durabil- 
ity under use and abuse. The Victor Bicycle has Bown's 
iEolus ball bearing all around, including pedals." 

In addition to these important features they used 
Warwick's hollow rims, tangent spokes, crossed and 
soldered, and square rubber pedals. In 1886 and 
1887 the machine was lightened a little and improved 
in some matters of detail, such as substituting single 
tangent spokes for the double, the adoption of spade 
handles, and a tire with a hollow core was used. In 
this shape it came as near perfection as the ordinary 
ever could. 

The popular favor with, which the Rover pattern 
Safety was received abroad in 1886 presented an oppor- 
tunity for the introduction of a similar machine in 
this country, and in 1887 the Overman Company 
brought out the Victor Safety. But this machine was 
by no means a mere copy of the foreign type, for it 
contained characteristic and important features of its 
own. In 1887 it had the usual cross frame of the time, 
but in 1888 there was adopted a sort of diamond 
frame, which proved so successful as to be retained as 
one of their principal types. 



OUR ADVERTISERS, 355 

In the Safety the company embodied all the high- 
grade features of the ordinary bicycle. They also 
made the valuable improvement in Safeties of using 
their regular bicycle bearings at the ends of the driv- 
ing wheel axle, and applied the power between the 
bearings. But probably the best known feature of 
the Victor Safety is its remarkable spring fork. The 
vibration on a Safety is very great, and the hands and 
arms especially suffer from it. To overcome this, the 
Overman Company introduced a spring fork of unique 
design and splendid construction, which absolutely 
destroys all vibration, and relieves the rider from the 
constantly recurring shocks, which are far more wear- 
ing than the physical exertion required to propel a 
machine. 

A new tricycle of improved type, on something of 
Cripper lines, was brought out in 1887, and to its 
front wheel the new spring fork was also applied, thus 
greatly enhancing its value and the comfort of its 
rider. They also brought out, in 1888, the Victor 
Junior, a high grade ordinary bicycle for boys — a 
machine similar in character and design to their reg- 
ular Victor, which fact constitutes an ample descrip- 
tion of it. In 1890 their list was further increased by 
the production of the Victoria Safety — a drop frame 
machine designed especially for feminine use. 

The absorbing topic in 1891 was the tire question, 
cushions of various sorts being generally used in pref- 
erence to the earlier small solids, while here and there 
a pneumatic appeared. In tires, the hit of the year 
was the Victor cushion, which was composed of a 
simple arch of rubber extending from edge to edge of 



35 6 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

the rim, in contradistinction to the usual round tire 
with a hollow central core, commonly used. 

The patterns of the Victor Safety were increased to 
six in 1891, two of them being furnished with rigid 
forks, and the other four with spring forks. The 
Victor ordinary was fitted with cushion tires and a 
twenty-two or twenty-four inch trailing wheel, and 
brought into line with " rational " ordinaries. For 
1892 their list is further augmented, a novelty being 
the introduction of an egg-shape frame, something 
like that of the Euclidia shown elsewhere. In tires, 
they are bringing out a pneumatic which has the un- 
usual feature of being provided with an opening in the 
rim through which the inner tube can be readily re- 
moved, and which promises to prove as successful as 
their cushion. 

The Overman Company is distinguished as the only 
company in the world to make in their own plant 
everything which enters into the construction of a 
bicycle. They make their own tires, saddles, tool 
bags, balls, etc., in their factory, which is thoroughly 
adapted for the work. This is worthy of note, show- 
ing that in this age of progressiveness our manufac- 
turers of high grade machines lead the world in the 
energy displayed. 

POPE MANUFACTURING COMPANY. 

The Pope Manufacturing Co. was organized in 1877, 
Colonel Albert A. Pope, its founder and the bicycle 
pioneer of America, about this time having learned to 
ride a wheel, which was made for him at a cost of over 
three hundred dollars. After examining the subject in 



OUR ADVERTISERS, 357 

all its bearings, both as a business and as a diversion, he 
was convinced that he could make a permanent indus- 
try of its manufacture. So strongly did the future of the 
wheel impress him that he took a trip abroad in order 
that he might study the methods of its construction 
and see in person just what hold it had taken on the 
English people. The company began the business of 
importing in 1877, and the very next season proceeded 
to manufacture on a large scale, -and according to 
the best methods, on the interchangeable plan. The 
bicycles were made for them by the Weed Sewing 
Machine Co. of Hartford, Conn., a corporation . in 
which the Pope Manufacturing Co. soon became 
largely interested, and which it finally absorbed in 1 890, 
paying the former stockholders fifty per cent, premium 
for their holdings, a movement which was commended 
both for its shrewdness and liberality. 

In 1878 this company produced and put on the mar- 
ket a wheel known as the Columbia, a larger office 
was opened at 87 Summer Street, Boston, and the first 
regular trade catalogue, of twenty pages, was issued. 
In starting out, the company adopted the principle of 
making always the best thing practicable with the 
available material and skill, and it therefore took, and 
has always kept a leading place in the manufacture of 
high grade bicycles. It is the only survivor of the 
first dozen concerns in the business ; it is the sole 
survivor of the first four or five years of the business. 
These are facts which show the elements of strength 
in the very beginning and, in a measure, account for 
its solid after-growth. 

As this company was first to manufacture wheels in 



35 8 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

the United States, so also it was most influential and 
energetic in aiding in opening the highways and parks 
for the use of wheelmen. It aided in removing an 
almost prohibitory ordinance from the municipal laws 
of Boston. It expended many thousands of dollars 
in what was known as the Central Park case in New 
York, the South Park matter in Chicago, and the 
Fairmount Park contest in Philadelphia, and it spent 
over sixty thousand dollars in founding the magazine 
Outing, which became the finest existing exponent 
both of bicycling and general recreation. In point 
of fact, the Pope Manufacturing Co. assisted to 
educate the public first to the tolerance of the wheel, 
and then to its approval and general adoption — a 
result which was aided in no small degree by the free 
distribution of bicycle literature. 

In 1879 the agency system, and the system of uni- 
form prices, were established, the company buying up 
patents as fast as they were pressed upon them, thus 
obviating the difficulty which had already embarrassed 
them and the other importers, and threatened to wipe 
out this infant industry. 

The wheel for the year 1879 is known as the 
Standard Columbia, and is deserving of particular 
mention. It is interesting to note just here that the 
first idea in constructing bicycles was to give a 
maximum amount of strength and durability. The 
trade naturally demanded a wheel suitable for begin- 
ners, something that would stand the strains and 
bruises of the riding school, be seldom broken and 
easily repaired. The Standard Columbia, for the 
functions demanded, was one of the most satisfactory 



OUR ADVERTISERS. 359 

wheels ever put on the market. It gave little or no 
trouble either to makers or wheelmen. 

The output for the year 1880 included such 
machines as the Special Columbia, Youth's Columbia, 
Mustang and Youth's Mustang, but the great event 
of this year was the perfecting and production of the 
Columbia ball bearings, the first successful adjustable 
ball bearings made. Formerly, and for some little 
time after this, both in England 'and the United 
States,- there were ball bearings made with two or 
more rows of balls in each bearing, but the only single 
row ball bearing was that known as the Bown, in 
which the box was made in four pieces, partly of gun 
metal and partly of steel. 

In 1881 new and larger quarters were opened 
at 597 Washington Street, Boston, and the Columbia 
warrant or guarantee was instituted. In the next 
year, 1882, a branch house was opened in New York, 
and the Columbia Expert was launched on its suc- 
cessful career. This wheel was a marked improve- 
ment over the Standard Columbia, and soon became 
the favorite bicycle for long runs and cross-country 
riding, and was the first and only machine ridden 
around the world. 

In 1883 appeared the Columbia Racer and the 
Columbia Three-Track tricycle. In 1884 the busi- 
ness had grown to such proportions that it became 
necessary to open a branch house in Chicago. The 
productions for 1885 were the Columbia Light Road- 
ster bicycle, the Two-Track tricycle, and the notable 
Columbia double- grip pedals. 

The Columbia Safety bicycle appeared in 1886. 



360 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

It was a front driver, and, in its day and generation, 
was the best Safety in the market. There also ap- 
peared the Semi-Roadster and the Ladies' Columbia 
Two-Track tricycle. In that year also the company 
placed on the market the Columbia Kirkpatrick 
saddle, which became another favorite in bicycle con- 
struction, and on which most of the saddles of recent 
years have been modeled. During that season the 
Columbia cycles gained a good deal of notice by the 
records made upon them, two of which were the 
mile in 2.29I and twenty-two miles within the hour. 
These and several others stood for a number of years 
as world's records. 

In 1887 the company moved into the building at 
the corner of Franklin and Arch streets, Boston, and 
began the manufacture of Columbia Tandem bicycles 
and racing and light roadster tricycles. In 1888 the 
company put out its first rear-driving Safety under 
the name of the Veloce Columbia, and also the Volun- 
teer Columbia and Surprise Columbia tricycle. The 
machines for 1889 were the Columbia Light Roadster 
Safety and Tandem Safety and the Rational Expert 
Columbia. 

The Ladies' Safety and Racing Safety were intro- 
duced in 1890, while in 1891 the company put out a 
much improved machine, the double diamond Light 
Roadster Safety and pneumatic Racing Safety, on the 
latter of which the world's record of a mile in 2.15 
was made. Although the company had from time to 
time remodeled and added to its factory, it was now 
found necessary to make a great enlargement of their 
plant, so that at present they have over five acres of 



OUR ADVERTISERS. 3 61 

flooring and employ about one thousand people, most 
of them being skilled laborers. 

The experience of fourteen years in the manufactur- 
ing business and the knowledge gained by constant 
contact with the trade has resulted in the production 
of the finest bicycle ever made, and which the com- 
pany put out this year (1892) under the name of the 
Century Columbia. It is a model of comfort and ele- 
gance, and it is as light as could be reasonably ex- 
pected without sacrificing strength and durability. A 
valuable and distinctive feature of the Light Road- 
ster Safety is retained in the double diamond frame, 
only the tubular guard being sacrificed for weight. 
For the same reason the wheels are reduced to twenty- 
eight and thirty inches, but an equally good propor- 
tion is preserved throughout. 

The driving-gear has been improved, so far as the 
new methods of making the Elliott self-oiling chain 
can contribute to its perfection, and by the use of new 
and very graceful round cranks. The wheels are per- 
haps of greater interest than any other part of the 
machine, and to their production has been devoted 
the most careful study and attention. Columbia hubs, 
well tested double-butted spokes with adjustable 
nipples, sheet steel felloes of the utmost lightness, 
rolled to a form giving great rigidity and deep enough 
to hold the tire securely ; these are the features of the 
most perfect wheel that has ever been offered to the 
public. 

Columbia pneumatic tires add materially to the com- 
fort of the rider, and the company has succeeded in 
making a tire which will give most excellent service, 



362 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

resisting puncture and tested to a pressure of two- 
hundred and thirty-five pounds to the inch, while the 
usual riding pressure is not over fifty to sixty pounds to 
the inch. The Century Columbia with its modified 
form, the Century Road Racer, and the Ladies* Safety 
with pneumatic tires are the features for 1892. 

Taking then a cursory review, the Pope Manufactur- 
ing Co.'s productions have always been marked by the 
highest excellence in quality, and have always kept 
pace with, or been in advance of, the times. Of the 
many machines produced and noticed above, the 
Standard Columbia, of 1879, was a wheel strong in con- 
struction, and satisfactory to the trade, the makers, and 
the actual users. The Expert Columbia, 1882, was 
received with great delight, because wheelmen at that 
time were thoroughly aroused to the pleasures of long 
runs and outings on the wheel, and this machine 
was particularly adapted to this purpose. In 1885 the 
Columbia Light Roadster's appearance marked a third 
step in the perfection of high wheels. It was lighter 
than the Expert, to which it held about the same re- 
lation that the Century Columbia does to the Colum- 
bia Light Roadster Safety of 189 1. The Columbia 
Safety of 1886 was a front driver, and, though short- 
lived, was the best thing of its kind. It was the means 
to an end, which end was approximated in the Columbia 
Light Roadster Safety of 1889, and the double dia- 
mond Light Roadster Safety of 1 89 1 , but not thoroughly 
reached till the company put out the Century Colum- 
bia in 1892. 

On January 1, 1892, the Pope Manufacturing Co. 
took possession of its fine new office building at 221 



OUR ADVERTISERS. 3 6 3 

Columbus Avenue, Boston. The company owns the 
enormous plant in Hartford and this fine building in 
Boston. It has a paid in capital of $1,000,000 and a 
very large surplus. 

PREMIER CYCLE COMPANY. 

Away back in the spring of 1880, the head of this 
well-known house imported the first Humber bicycle 
brought into America. From this small beginning 
has grown a corporation with main office in New 
York, branch houses in Chicago, and Orange, N. J., 
and four hundred and fifty active representatives 
throughout the United States. This remarkable 
development is largely due to the reputation, inter- 
est, and energy shown by Mr. L. H. Johnson, to 
whose business the company succeeded in February, 
1891. Mr. Johnson was amateur champion of America 
in 1879 > a g aui champion at both long and short 
distances, and of Canada, in 1880 ; and his practical 
experience on both road and path early convinced 
him of the great value of lightness and simplicity of 
construction in wheels. These qualities he advocated 
in the face of the popular craze for spring frames, and 
a persistent endeavor on the part of many Americans 
to decry light machines. Constantly on the lookout 
for novelties, Mr. Johnson imported into America 
the first double-driving tricycle, the first tandem 
tricycle, the first tandem (high) bicycle and, contem- 
poraneously with a Philadelphia dealer, the original 
rear-driving Safety. 

When the Premier Tandem Safety was brought out 
in the spring of 1888, and English riders w T ere view- 



364 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

ing it askance, Mr. Johnson instantly realized its 
capabilities for American use and imported a number, 
which found ready sale, and paved the way to the 
great business in Premier Safeties that the company 
now handles. 

Every fall Mr. Johnson makes a trip abroad, and 
spends from four to six weeks in the factories, de- 
signing and planning new and improved patterns for 
the coming season. Every Premier sent to America 
is specially and exclusively built for American roads 
and riders. Realizing that the former are a severer tax 
on strength and durability than European thorough- 
fares, mechanical perfection stands before cost in the 
construction of Premiers, and American riders have 
been quick to show their appreciation of this fact. 

In November, 1890, Mr. Johnson obtained control 
of the famous King of the Road lamps and other 
Cyclealities manufactured by Jos. Lucas & Son ; 
and, as his business had already outgrown the man- 
agement of one man, formed on his return to Amer- 
ica a corporation known as the Premier Cycle Company, 
to take over the business, agencies, and contracts 
owned by him. The wisdom of this step has been 
amply demonstrated during the eighteen months' 
existence of the company. With main office and 
warerooms in New York City, a Western branch in 
Chicago, and a retail store in the heart of the cele- 
brated Orange riding district, the business of the 
company is doubling annually. With five hundred 
Premier agents, and over one thousand trade customers 
for Cyclealities, the Premier Cycle Company is assured 
of a Premier rank in the cycle trade. 




OUR ADVERTISERS. 3 6 5 

THE REFEREE. 

One of the most interesting and reliable trade jour- 
nals in the country is the Referee, published in Chicago. 
The paper was originally devoted to various sports, 
but a little over two years ago it devoted all its space 
to cycling. Then it ran eight pages in all, while now 
it has never less than from fifty-six to 'sixty-four, cover 
included. This is certainly a remarkable growth for 
a weekly journal. Its Christmas, 1891, number con- 
tained ninety-two pages, and the Philadelphia cycle 
show number ninety-six pages. It is generous with its 
illustrations, which are of the finest half-tones pos- 
sible to procure. The Referee is among the most en- 
tertaining of the journals devoted to the cycle trade. 

A. G. SPALDING & BROS. 

The house of A. G. Spalding & Bros., now one of 
the largest in existence in both its cycling and sport- 
ing goods departments, was founded at Chicago, in 
1876, to deal in general sporting goods. Soon after 
it established a house in New York, and at a little 
later date one in Philadelphia, while in addition they 
have depots in the principal cities of the United States, 
England, and Australia. 

In 1880 they included wheels in their business, first 
handling the Harvard and Yale, imported by Cunning- 
ham & Co., of Boston, and later importing themselves 
the Premier, Kangaroo, and Humber machines, and 
also having built for themselves an excellent ordinary 
called the Spalding. 



366 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

In 1886 they formed a connection with the Overman 
Wheel Company, and became special agents for the 
Victor wheels, thus securing one of the finest makes 
to handle, and affording its makers splendid means of 
distribution. In 1890 they manufactured the Nonpa- 
reil — a very excellent Safety for boys, and sold at a 
moderate price. The next year, in connection with 
the Overman Wheel Co., they brought out the Cre- 
denda safety, made in patterns for both gentlemen and 
ladies, and being a very good wheel sold at a moder- 
ate price. In 1892 they brought out both the Non- 
pareil and Credenda on their own account, and these 
wheels, together with the* large line of Victors now be- 
ing brought out by the Overman Wheel Co., gives them 
one of the most complete and satisfactory lines to 
handle that can anywhere be found. 

The growth of their business has recently made it 
necessary for them to take in New York a separate 
building for their offices and their wholesale and manu- 
facturing departments, leaving the retail business in 
the old store. 

STOVER BICYCLE MFG. CO. 

In July, 1890, as the Safety bicycle was beginning 
to drive the ordinary from the field in this country, 
the Stover Bicycle Mfg. Co., of Freeport, 111., was 
incorporated, with a capital of one hundred thousand 
dollars. The president of the company is D. C. 
Stover ; the vice president, Fred Bartlett ; the secre- 
tary, E. H. Wilcox ; the treasurer, Chas. Neimann, 
and the superintendent, W. A. Hance. 



OUR ADVERTISERS. 3 6 7 

The company undertook at the outset to build 
bicycles of the very highest possible grade only, and, 
as a result, soon acquired a reputation for turning out 
reliable and high-class work. The secretary and 
superintendent, especially, are practical men who 
understand the needs of wheelmen, as well as what 
constitutes a good wheel and how to make it ; conse- 
quently, success has followed their efforts. Some 
three hundred machines were turned out during the 
first season ; this was increased to twenty-two hun- 
dred the second season, and to twenty-seven hundred 
the third. 

The machines produced are called the Iroquois, 
Paragon, and Phoenix, the two latter being made in 
patterns for both gentlemen and ladies. All are built 
on the most approved lines, of graceful design, and 
moderate weight, and in one case a practical spring 
frame is fitted. For 1892 they have also a specially 
light roadster finely adapted for fast work. This 
machine is one of the handsomest and most attractive 
in the market. 

WARWICK CYCLE MANUFACTURING CO. 

In the manufacturing of cycles, as in nearly all 
communities, there are two or more schools of thought. 
Whatever term may be applied to the others, that of 
" new " is distinctively applicable to the subject 
matter of this sketch. 

The Warwick Cycle Manufacturing Co., of Spring- 
field, Mass., was originally called into being with a 
limited capital, to apply certain patents in cycle con- 



368 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

struction, many of which were marked by great 
originality. The company determined to place upon 
the market, in 1888, an ordinary bicycle, the design, 
construction, and workmanship of which has rarely 
been equaled by any manufacturers in this country 
or England. The special features (aside from those 
usually possessed by high grade cycles) were a direct 
plunger brake ; a saddle of unique design, rendered 
unstretchable by the insertion 'of strips of sheet steel 
from peak to cantle; a spring attachment to front forks ; 
and, what perhaps attracted more attention from the 
critics than the rest of the machine, ball bearings with 
a vertical adjustment ; this latter was a decided de- 
parture from the general idea of a ball bearing. 
Their catalogue said that : 

" In making our initial bow to the wheeling public 
as manufacturers of high-class cycles, solicitous of ob- 
taining a fair proportion of its patronage, we are con- 
scious that the standard demanded by the riding 
patrons of the wheel requires from a successful com- 
petitor workmanship, stock, design, and finish of the 
highest excellence. 

" While fully aware that this desideratum is not 
easily reached, we are satisfied that in the Warwick Per- 
fection we are presenting a perfectly made wheel 
which, embracing many valuable improvements over 
any other existing type of cycle, is confidently pre- 
sented to the critical eye of the purchaser. No result 
that experience suggests, or capital can purchase, is 
wanting in the Warwick Perfection Cycles. 

" We enter the market with no friends to regard, no 
enemies to punish, no old prejudices to sustain, and 



OUR ADVERTISERS. 3 6 9 

no improvements to decry. Safe in the knowledge 
that the product of our factory is of the highest order 
of cycle mechanism, we present on the following pages 
specifications and a comprehensive description of the 
Warwick Perfection Cycles." 

The sudden change of the market about this time 
from the high ordinary wheel to the Safety type, deter- 
mined the corporation to at once commence the manu- 
facture of a rear driver. The first machine made its 
appearance at the Chicago show of 1889, when its 
unique design attracted much attention. 

The fine mechanical workmanship of this wheel, like 
its fellow the ordinary, was specially noticed by the 
trade, and during the season of 1889, it was manu- 
factured as rapidly as the limited plant of the corpo- 
ration would permit. The special features of this 
machine were the duplex steering, the double frame, 
and the spring fork attachment.; it was also the pioneer 
of convertible Safeties. The unmerciful test of prac- 
tical use proved, by the expiration of the year, that the 
special features had very little to recommend them in 
preference to the simpler methods of others, and in 
the winter of 1889 the Perfection was designed in the 
shape it reached the market of 1890. Few machines 
have met with the satisfactory verdict that this wheel 
secured, and a large product was quickly taken up by 
purchasers. 

About this period (1889-90) the ownership of the 
corporation changed hands, Messrs. Chamberlain, 
Brewer, Russell, Bill, Wallace, and Myrick, representa- 
tive business men and large capitalists, taking the 
concern. They immediately took steps to extend its 



37° WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

scope by adding to its capital, increasing its plant, 
and giving it efficient and capable management. 

From this time on the growth of the company has 
approached the phenomenal. The product of 1891 
was of the very highest grade, embracing every point 
of acknowledged excellence, and at once marked the 
concern as a leading and prominent factor in all future 
trade. 

In summing up the mechanical side of the Warwick 
Cycle Mfg. Co's. productions, one is impressed by the 
fact that every detail, the workmanship, stock, design, 
and finish, is of the highest order. Everything is of 
the best, and the name of the company synonymous 
with reliable work and desirable design and finish. 

Early in June of 1891 the company, having previ- 
ously twice doubled their capacity, determined to 
build a factory capable of producing a high grade 
wheel in as large quantities as any shop in America. 
With this end in view, they purchased the site of their 
present factory, and commenced its erection. Very 
recently they took possession, and find that their ex- 
pectations have been realized. The shop is fitted up 
throughout with machinery of highest excellence, 
much of it being specially designed for cycle work, 
and erected under the personal direction of Mr. Joel 
H. Hendrick, a mechanic of ripe experience, now vice 
president of the company. 

Warwick Cycles go to every part of the country. 
The demand for their cycles forced them to decline a 
very large and lucrative export trade in 1891, though 
they managed to ship some few machines to Japan, 
Russia, and Australia. 



OUR ADVERTISERS. 37* 

WHEELMEN'S GAZETTE. 

The Wheelmen's Gazette was founded in 1883 at 
Springfield, Mass,, and in 1887 moved to Indianapolis, 
Ind., where it still continues to flourish. Its present 
editor and publisher, Ben L. Darrow, is making a dis- 
tinctive and very attractive paper of it, and that his 
efforts are appreciated is shown by the fact that the 
Gazette has a circulation of ten thousand copies a 
month. 

The Gazette abounds in beautiful illustrations, read- 
able stories, and poems of the wheel, and is a most 
readable and entertaining cycling publication. 



CYCLE DIRECTORY. 



An alphabetical list of the wheels which have been sold 
at any time in this country, including those of both domestic 
and foreign manufacture. Very many of the wheels named 
are not now manufactured or imported, and quite a number 
of the firms are no longer in the business, but both are 
included for the sake of making the list as complete as pos- 
sible. It is not supposed that it is absolutely complete, for 
in the present growing state of the trade omissions could 
not be avoided ; but it certainly includes a surprising number 
of names. In some few cases wheel names and firms have 
been announced, and have not yet materialized, but are 
included. In other cases wheels have been brought to this 
country from abroad by individual purchasers, but have 
never been imported regularly here, hence no firm name is 
given. In a few other cases names of wheels which have 
been announced are given, although it has not been possible 
to learn who was to make or import them. There are also 
instances in which one make of machine has been imported 
at different times by different firms ; in such cases the house 
most recently engaged in handling it is given. Heretofore, 
also, one concern has usually controlled a sole American 
agency for the make it handled ; but now the practice often 
is to divide the country among two, three, or even more, 
general agents, each of whom controls certain territory 
and deals directly with the foreign house. At the present 
writing it has not been possible to learn where all such 
arrangements exist, and consequently the name of but one 
house is usually given. During the past year there have 
appeared announcements of more new bicycle manufacturers 
and more new wheels than in the whole previous history of 
the trade in America. Some of the concerns, doubtless, 
will never be formed, and some of the machines will never 
be made, but they nevertheless form a portion of a Cycle 
Directory. 

372 



CYCLE DIRECTORY. 373 

A 

Acme. 

Advance. 

Advance Traveller, Luburg Mfg. Co., Philadelphia. 

/Eolus, Spooner-Peterson Co., Chicago. ■ 

Aerolite, John Thornton, Jr., New York. 

Ajax, U. S. Cycle Mfg. Co., Philadelphia. 

America, Peerless Mfg. Co., Cleveland, O. 

American, Clark Cycle Co., Baltimore. 

American Challenge, Gormully & Jeffery Mfg. Co., Chicago. 

" Champion " " ." " " 

" Club, Coventry Machinists' Co., Boston. 

" Dual, Cunningham & Co., Boston. 

" Express, Latta Bros., Friendship, N.Y. 

" Ideal, Gormully & Jeffery Mfg. Co., Chicago. 

" Meteor, Cunningham & Co., Boston. 

" Ormonde, Am. Ormonde Cycle Co., New York. 

" Pilot, Latta Bros., Friendship, N. Y. 

" Premier, A. G. Spalding & Bros., New York. 

" Rambler, Gormully & Jeffery Mfg. Co., Chicago. 

" Rudge, Stoddard, Lovering & Co., Boston. 

•' Safety, Gormully & Jeffery Mfg. Co., Chicago. 

" Salvo, Cunningham & Co., Boston. 

" Sanspareil, Clark Cycle Co., Baltimore. 

Star, H. B. Smith Machine Co., Smithville, N. J. 

" Traveller, Luburg Mfg. Co., Philadelphia. 
Apollo, Singer & Co., Boston. 
Arab. 

Ariel, Ariel Cycle Mfg. Co., Goshen, Ind. 
Ariel, Standard Cycle Co., Buffalo, N. Y. 
Arrow. 
Auxiliary. 
Avalanche, W. H. Jackson, Philadelphia. 

B 

Beacon, Beacon Cycle Co., Westboro, Mass. 

Beacon, Standard Cycle Co., Buffalo, N. Y. 

Beat All. 

Belmont, Sweeting Cycle Co., Philadelphia. 

Belsize, Hibbard, Spencer, Bartlett & Co., Chicago. 

Bendigo. 

Ben-Hur, Central Cycle Mfg. Co., Indianapolis. 

Bicyclette, Stoddard, Lovering & Co., Boston. 



374 WHEELS AND WHEELING, 

Black Diamond, Capitol Cycle Co., Washington. 
Black Hawk, Western Wheel Works, Chicago. 
Bloomington, Harber Bros. Co., Bloomington, 111. 
Bodine. 

Boston, W. W. Stall, Boston. 
British Challenge, Singer & Co., Boston. 
" Champion. 

Mail, Wm. Read & Sons, Boston. 
Broncho, Livingston Cycle Co., Westboro, Mass. 
Brookes, Wm. Trafford, Philadelphia. 
Buckeye, Peerless Mfg. Co., Cleveland. 
Buckingham & Adams, H. A. Smith & Co., Newark, N. J. 
Buffalo, Buffalo Cycle Works, Buffalo, N. Y. 



Capitol, Washington Cycle Co., Washington. 
Captain, Wall & Boyer, Philadelphia. 
Catford, Premier Cycle Co., New York. 
Centaur, St. Nicholas Mfg. Co., Chicago. 
Centaur, G. E. Lloyd & Co., Chicago. 
Century, Pope Mfg. Co., Boston, 

Chainless Telegram, Sercombe & Bolte Mfg. Co., Milwaukee. 
Challenge, Singer & Co., Boston. 
Cheylesmore, Coventry Machinists Co., Boston. 
Cinch, Western Wheel Works, Chicago. 
Cinderella. 

Cleveland, H. A. Lozier & Co., Cleveland. 
Climax, Wall & Boyer, Philadelphia. 
Clipper, Grand Rapids Bicycle Co., Grand Rapids, Mich. 
Club, Coventry Machinists Co., Boston. 
Coaster, A. A. Bennett, Cincinnati. 
Columbia, Pope Mfg. Co., Boston. 
Comet, Keefe & Becannon, New York. 

Common Sense, Common Sense Bicycle Mfg. Co., Phila. 
Conquest, Geo. R. Bidwell Cycle Co., New York. 
Cornell, Cunningham & Co., Boston. 
Courier, Hibbard, Spencer, Bartlett & Co., Chicago. 
Coventry Cross, Horton, Gilmore, McW. & Co., Chicago. 
" Rival, Sweeting Cycle Co., Philadelphia. 
Rotary, Stoddard, Lovering & Co., Boston. 
Credenda, A. G. Spalding & Bros., New York. 
Crescent, Stoddard, Lovering & Co., Boston. 
Crescent, Western Wheels Works, Chicago. 



CYCLE DIRECTORY. 375 

Crescent Sylph, Rouse-Duryea Cycle Co., Peoria, 111. 
Criterion, Sweeting Cycle Co., Philadelphia. 
Cyclone. 

D 

Daisy, Indiana Bicycle Mfg. Co., Indianapolis. 

Dandy, " " " " 

Dart, Smith National Cycle Mfg. Co., Washington. 

Dauntless, Toledo Bicycle Co., Toledo. 

Derby, Derby Cycle Co., Chicago. 

Dictator, Clark Cycle Co., Baltimore. 

Duplex-Excelsior, Cunningham & Co., Boston. 



Eagle, Eagle Bicycle Mfg. Co., Torrington, Ct. 
Eclipse, Cunningham & Co., Boston. 
Eclipse, Standard Cycle Co., Buffalo, N. Y. 
Eclipse, Eclipse Bicycle Works, Indianapolis. 
Electric, St. Nicholas Mfg. Co., Chicago. 
Eli, Bloomington Mfg. Co., Bloomington, 111. 
Elliott, Elliott Hickory Cycle Co., Newton, Mass. 
Emperor, Standard Cycle Co., Buffalo, N. Y. 
Empire, Chicago Sewing Machine Co., Chicago. 
Empire, Empire Bicycle Co., New York. 
Empress. 
Enchantress. 

Englewood, Indiana Bicycle Mfg. Co., Indianapolis. 
Envoy, Buffalo Tricycle Co., Buffalo, N. Y. 
Escort, Western Wheel Works, Chicago. 
Excelsior, Sweeting Cycle Co., Philadelphia. 
Expert, Pope Mfg. Co., Boston. 
Express, Latta Bros., Friendship, N. Y. 
Express, Meacham Arms Co., St. Louis. 



Facile, Julius Wilcox, New York. 

Fashion, Fay Mfg. Co., Elyria, O. 

Flash, 

Fleetwing, Buffalo Tricycle Co., Buffalo, N. Y. 

Fly. 

Forest City, Geo. Worthington Co., Cleveland. 



376 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 



Gales, Schoverling, Daly & Gales, New York. 

Gazelle, Crawford Mfg. Co., Hagerstown, Md. 

Gem. 

Gendron, Gendron Iron Wheel Co., Toledo. 

Ghost, Warwick Cycle Mfg. Co., Springfield, Mass. 

Giant, H. A. Lozier & Co., Cleveland. 

Giantess, " " " 

Girder Star, Montgomery Ward & Co. , Chicago. 

Goddess of Liberty, Rockaway Mfg. Co., New York. 

Gotham, Schoverling, Daly & Gales, New York. 

Greyhound, Brown Bros. Mfg. Co., Chicago. 

Guide, Fay Mfg. Co., Elyria, O, 

Gypsy, Hibbard, Spencer, Bartlett & Co., Chicago. 

H 

Halladay-Temple Scorcher, Marion Cycle Co., Marion, Ind. 

Hallamshire, Cunningham & Co., Boston. 

Hartford, Hartford Cycle Co., Hartford, Ct. 

Harvard, Cunningham & Co., Boston. 

Hecla, A. G. Spalding & Bros., New York. 

Hero. 

Hickory, Elliott Hickory Cycle Co., Newton, Mass. 

Holbein Swift, Coventry Machinists Co., Boston. 

Horsman, E. J. Horsman, New York. 

Humber, Humber-Rover Cycle Co., Chicago. 

I 

Ideal, Gormully & Jeffery Mfg. Co., Chicago. 

Imperial, Ames & Frost Mfg. Co., Chicago. 

Imperial Club, Coventry Machinists Co., Boston. 

Intermediate, Singer & Co., Boston. 

Invincible, Bretz & Curtis Mfg. Co., Philadelphia. 

Invincible, Standard Cycle Co., Buffalo, N. Y. 

Iroquois, Stover Bicycle Mfg. Co., Freeport, 111. 

Irwell, Sweeting Cycle Co., Philadelphia. 

Ivanhoe. 

Ivel, A. G. Spalding & Bros., New York. 



James, Sweeting Cycle Co., Philadelphia. 
Jewel, Geo. Worthington Co., Cleveland. 



CYCLE DIRECTORY. 377 

Joliet, Joliet Wheel Co., Joliet, 111. 
Junior, Western W T heels Works, Chicago. 
Junior Traveller, Luburg Mfg. Co., Philadelphia. 
Juno, Western Wheels Works, Chicago. 
Juvenile Rival, Sweeting Cycle Co., Philadelphia. 

K 

Kangaroo, A. G. Spalding & Bros., New York. 
Keating, Keating Wheel Co., Holyoke, Mass. 
Kenwood, Kenwood Mfg. Co,, Chicago. 
King of Clubs, Coventry Machinists Co., Boston. 

" " Diamonds, Capitol Cycle Co., Washington. 

" " Racers. 

" " Road, Indiana Bicycle Mfg. Co., Indianapolis. 

" " Scorchers. Hulbert Bros. & Co., New York. 
Kite, Kirkwood, Miller & Co., Peoria, 111. 
Kitten, Premier Cycle Co., New York, 
Kohinoor, " " " 

L 

La Belle. 

Leader, Fay Mfg. Co., Elyria, O. 

League. 

Liberty, Rockaway Mfg. Co., New York. 

Lightning, Indiana Bicycle Mfg. Co., Indianapolis, 

" Double Diamond, Western Wheel Works, Chicago. 
" Messenger, Sercombe & Bolte Mfg. Co., Milwaukee, 
Little Giant, H. A. Lozier & Co., Cleveland. 

" Jewel, Hibbard, Spencer, Bartlett & Co., Chicago. 

M Traveller, Luburg Mfg. Co., Philadelphia. 
Lockport, Korf & Bunce, Lockport, N. Y. 
London Triumph, J. B. Rich Cycle Co., Philadelphia. 
Lovell Diamond, J. P. Lovell Arms Co., Boston. 
Luburg Special, Luburg Mfg. Co., Philadelphia. 
Lyndhurst, McKee & Harrington, New York. 

M 

Majestic, Hulbert Bros. & Co., New York. 
Manhattan, Indiana Bicycle Mfg. Co., Indianapolis. 
March, March-Davis Cycle Co., Chicago. 
Marlboro' Club, Coventry Machinists Co., Boston. 
Meacham, Meacham Arms Co., St. Louis. 
Mercury, Winton Bicycle Co., Cleveland. 



37 8 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

Meteor, Banker & Campbell Co., New York. 

Midland. 

Miniature, Singer & Co., Boston. 

" Challenge, Singer & Co., Boston. 
Minnehaha. 

Moffat, Moffat Cycle Co., Chicago. 
Monarch, Standard Cycle Co., Buffalo, N. Y. 
Monarch, Monarch Cycle Co., Chicago. 
Mustang, Pope Mfg, Co., Boston. 

N 

Narragansett, Whitten-Godding Cycle Co., Providence. 
National, St. Nicholas Mfg. Co., Chicago. 
New Era, New Era Bicycle Co., " 

" Mail, Wm. Read & Sons, Boston. 

" Mail Scorcher, " " 

" Monarch, American Bicycle Co., Chicago. 

" Rapid, Clark Cycle Co., Baltimore. 

" York, New York Cycle Co., New York. 
Newton Challenge, R. H. Hodgson, Newton Upper Falls, 

Mass. 
Niagara, Buffalo Wheel Co., Buffalo, N. Y. 
Nonpareil, A. G. Spalding & Bros., New York. 

o 

Orion. 

Ormonde, Am. Ormonde Cycle Co., New York. 

Otto, Western Wheel Works, Chicago. 

Our Pet, " 

Outing, Premier Cycle Co., New York. 

Overland, Rouse, Hazard & Co., Peoria, 111. 

Owl, Owl Cycle Co., Boston. 

Oxford, Wm. Read & Sons, Boston. 

Oxford, St. Nicholas Mfg. Co., Chicago. 

P 

Pacemaker, Kenyon Mfg. Co., Des Moines, la. 

Pacer, Cunningham & Co., Boston. 

Pacer. 

Page, Page Steel Wheel Co., Toledo, O. 

Parade, Dean & Rogers, Taunton, Mass. 

Paragon, Stover Bicycle Mfg. Co., Freepo^t, 111. 

Parole. 



CYCLE DIRECTORY. 379 

Pathfinder, Indiana Bicycle Mfg. Co., Indianapolis, 
Peerless, St. Nicholas Mfg. Co., Chicago. 

" Rochester Cycle Mfg. Co., Rochester, N. Y. 
Peoria, Kingman & Co., Peoria, 111. 
Peregrine, Von Leugorke and Detmold, New York. 
Perfection, Warwick Cycle Mfg. Co., Springfield, Mass. 
Pet, Western W T heel W T orks, Chicago. 
Phantom, Campbell & Co., Providence. 
Phcenix, Stover Bicycle Mfg. Co., Freeport, 111. 
Pilgrim, Warwick Cycle Mfg. Co., Springfield, Mass. 
Pilot, Latta Bros., Friendship, N. Y. 
Pilot, Indiana Bicycle Mfg. Co., Indianapolis. 
Pioneer, Standard Cycle Co., Buffalo, N. Y. 
Planet, Standard Mfg. Co., Indianapolis. 
Popular, P. Tattersfield, Philadelphia. 
Popular Premier, Premier Cycle Co., New York. 
Premier, " " " " 

Prince. 

Princess, John Wilkinson Co., Chicago. 
Psycho, Capitol Cycle Co., Washington. 

Q 

Quadrant, Sweeting Cycle Co., Philadelphia. 

Queen. 

Queen of Scorchers, Hulbert Bros. & Co., New York. 

Quimby, Capitol Cycle Co., Washington. 

R 

Raglan, Janssen & Van Vleck, New York. 

Raleigh, Peck & Snyder, New York. 

Rapid, Indiana Bicycle Mfg. Co., Indianapolis. 

Rapid Traveller, Luburg Mfg. Co., Philadelphia. 

Record, St. Nicholas Mfg. Co., Chicago. 

Recruit, Winslow Skate Mfg. Co., Worcester, Mass. 

Referee, Bretz & Curtis Mfg. Co., Philadelphia. 

Regent, Derby Cycle Co., Chicago. 

Reindeer. 

Reliable. 

Reliance, Standard Cycle Co., Buffalo, N. Y. 

Remington, Remington Arms Co., Ilion, N. Y. 

Rex. 

Ripley, Capitol Cycle Co., Washington. 

Rival, Sweeting Cycle Co., Philadelphia. 



380 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

Rival, Western Wheel Works, Chicago. 
Road King, A. Featherstone, Chicago. 

" Queen, " " 

Robinson & Price, Sweeting Cycle Co., Philadelphia. 
Rob Roy, Western Wheel Works, Chicago, 
Rochester, Rochester Cycle Mfg. Co., Rochester, N. Y. 
Rocket, Rocket Cycle Co., Chicago. 
Roulette, D. McLean & Co., New York. 
Rover, Humber-Rover Cycle Co., Chicago. 
Royal, Marshall Cycle Works, Marshall, Mich. 
Royal Mail, Win. Read & Sons, Boston. 

" Singer, Singer & Co., " 

Ruby. 
Rucker. 

Rudge, Metropolitan Hardware Co., New York. 
Rush, Western Wheel Works, Chicago. 

s 

St. Louis. 

St. Nicholas. 

Samson, Capitol Cycle Co., Washington. 

Sanspareil, Clark Cycle Co., Baltimore. 

Sanspareil, Luthy & Co., Peoria, 111. 

Scorcher, Geo. R. Bidwell Cycle Co., New York. 

Scorcher, Bretz & Curtis Mfg. Co., Philadelphia. 

Secure, Woodruff & Little Cycle Co., Towanda, Pa. 

Semi-Roadster, Pope Mfg. Co., Boston. 

Shadow. 

Singer, Singer & Co., Boston. 

Snowflake, Hirsch Aluminium Co., Chicago. 

Spalding, A. G. Spalding & Bros., New York. 

Sparkbrook, L. H. Johnson, Orange, N. J. 

Special Columbia, Pope Mfg. Co., Boston. 

" Premier, Premier Cycle Co., New York. 

" Sparkbrook, L. H. Johnson, Orange, N. J. 
Speedwell, Springfield Bicycle Mfg. Co., Boston. 
Speedy, Speedy Cycle Co., Chicago. 
Speedycycle, Singer & Co., Boston. 
Springfield, Springfield Bicycle Mfg. Co., Boston. 
Springfield, Singer & Co., Boston. 
Sprinter, Luburg Mfg. Co., Philadelphia. 
Stall Special, W. W. Stall, Boston. 
Standard, Pope Mfg. Co., Boston. 
Standard, Standard Mfg. Co., Martinsburg, W. Va. 



CYCLE DIRECTORY. 381 

Standard, Premier Cycle Co., New York. 

Standard, Standard Cycle Co., Buffalo, N. Y. 

Star, H. B. Smith Machine Co., Smithville, N. J. 

Star, Spooner-Peterson Co., Chicago. 

Stella. 

Sterling, C. F. Stokes Mfg. Co., Chicago. 

Straight Steerer, Singer & Co., Boston. 

Strong, Strong & Green Cycle Co., Philadelphia. 

Student, Geo. R. Bidwell Cycle Co., New York. 

Sunbeam, Sweeting Cycle Co., Philadelphia. 

Sunol, Mcintosh-Huntington Co., Cleveland. 

Superior, Keating Wheel Co., Westfield, Mass. 

Surprise, Pope Mfg, Co., Boston. 

Sweeting Diamond, Sweeting Cycle Co., Philadelphia. 

Swift, Coventry Machinists Co., Boston. 

Sylph, Rouse-Duryea Cycle Co., Peoria, 111. 



Telegram, Sercombe & Bolte Mfg. Co., Milwaukee, 

Telephone, Kirkwood, Miller & Co., Peoria, 111. 

Thistle, Fulton Machine Works, Chicago. 

Tiger, Stover Bicycle Mfg. Co., Freeport, 111. 

Titania, Ariel Cycle Mfg,. Co., Goshen, Ind. 

Tourist, Geo. R. Bidwell Cycle Co., New York. 

Traveller, Singer & Co., Boston. 

Traveller, Geo. R. Bidwell Cycle Co., New York. 

Tremont, W. W. Stall, Boston. 

Triumph, J. B. Rich Cycle Co., Philadelphia. 

Tuxedo, Indiana Bicycle Mfg. Co., Indianapolis. 

Twins, U. S. Cycle Mfg. Co., Philadelphia. 

Two-Ten, Union Cycle Mfg. Co., Highlandville, Mass. 

Typhoon, Fay Mfg. Co., Elyria, O. 

Tyro. 

u 

Union, McKee & Harrington, New York. 
Union, Union Cycle Mfg. Co., Highlandville, Mass. 
Unique, Buffalo Tricycle Co., Buffalo, N. Y. 
Universal Club, Coventry Machinists Co., Boston. 

" Premier, Premier Cycle Co., New York. 

" Rover, Humber-Rover Cycle Co., Chicago. 



382 WHEELS AND WHEELING. 

V 

Veloce, Pope Mfg. Co., Boston. 

Velociman, Singer & Co., " 

Velocity, R. H. Hodgson, Newton Upper Falls, Mass. 

Venus. 

Victor, Overman Wheel Co., Chicopee Falls, Mass. 

Victor Junior, Overman Wheel Co., Chicopee Falls, Mass. 

Victoria, "■ " " " " 

Victoria, Singer & Co., Boston. 

Victory, Bretz & Curtis Cycle Co., Philadelphia. 

Viking, John Shirley Cycle Co., " 

Vineyard, Winslow Skate Mfg. Co., Worcester, Mass. 

Violet. 

Volant, Springfield Bicycle Mfg. Co., Boston. 

Volunteer, Pope Mfg. Co. " 

Vulcan, Whitten-Godding Cycle Co., Providence. 

w 

Wanderer, Hibbard, Spencer, Bartlett & Co., Chicago. 
Wanderer, Geo. R. Bidwell Cycle Co., New York. 
Warwick, Warwick Cycle Mfg. Co., Springfield, Mass. 
Whirlwind, Bigelow & Dowse, Boston. 
White Diamond, Capitol Cycle Co., Washington. 
Flyer, White Cycle Co., Westboro, Mass. 
Worth, Chicago Bicycle Co., Chicago. 
Wright & Ditson, Wright & Ditson, Boston. 
Wulfruna, W. G. Schack, Buffalo, N. Y. 

X 

XL, Luburg Mfg. Co., Philadelphia. 

Xtra, Singer & Co., Boston, 

Xtraordinary Challenge, Singer & Co., Boston. 



Yale, Cunningham & Co., Boston. 
Youth's Columbia, Pope Mfg. Co., Boston. 

" Mustang, " " 

" Premier, Winslow Skate Mfg. Co., Worcester, Mass. 

" Premier, Premier Cycle Co., New York. 



TABLES OF 

Mile Records of the World. 
American Path Records. 
English Path Records. 
American Road Records. 
English Road Records. 
Twenty-four Hour Record,, 



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TWENTY-FOUR HOUR RIDES. 



Year. 



i836 



1887 



Promoters. 
Ellis & Co, 

London T. C. 
Rudge & Co. 
North Road C. C 



Anfield B. C. 



North RoadC. C. 



1890 , 

1891 , 



Winner. 

. W. Snook 

. J. H. Adams 
. T. R. Marriott . . 
. J. H. Adams 
, G. P. Mills 

C. W. Brown . . 
T. R. Marriot . . 

. T. Waterhouse . . 
G.P.Mills 

D. Belding 
. L. Fletcher 

J. N. Thompson. . 

J. T. German . . 

. M. A. Holbein . . 

E. E. Glover | 
H. E. Green \ ' • 

F. T. Bidlake . 
M. A. Holbein . 
M. Rae 
W. C. Goulding. 

. M. A. Holbein . 

W. C. Goulding . 

M. Rae 
. M. A. Holbein . 

F. T. Bidlake . , 

M. Rae 
. F. W. Shorland. , 

J. F. Walsh . 

F. T. Bidlake . , 

* Record. 



Machine. 
. Safety 

. . Tricycle 



Ordinary . 

Safety 

Tricycle . 

Safety 

Tricycle 

Ordinary 

Safety 

Tricycle 

Ordinary 

Safety 

. Ordinaries , 

Tricycle . 

Safety 

Ordinary 

Tricycle . 
, Safety 
. Tricycle . 
. Ordinary . 

Safety 

Tricycle . 

Ordinary . 

Safety 

Ordinary . 

Tricycle . 



Distance. 
.. *2.\\y 2 miles. 

,.*221# ." 



. *2l8^ 

230 
227 
217 
190 
270K 

*26 4 

■ 2 37& 
• 234 

214 
, 206 

266 

234 5£ 

155M 
, 2923^ 
. 253 
. 252 

* 3 2 4 

*28o 

260 

*28 9 

261K 
326 

*3" 
*304 



AMERICAN CYCLING JOURNALS 

Every Wheelman Should Read Them. 



■#^ »-— - 



WEEKLIES. 



THE AMERICAN ATHLETE. $1.00 per year. 
P. O. Box 1228, Philadelphia, Pa. 

THE BEARINGS. $2.00 per year. 57 Plymouth 
Place, Chicago, 111. 

THE BICYCLING WORLD AND L. A. W. 
BULLETIN. $1.00 per year. 12 Pearl St, 
Boston, Mass. 

THE REFEREE. $2.00 per year. 588 Caxton 
Building, Chicago, 111. 

THE WHEEL. $2.00 per year. P. O. Box 444, 
New York, N. Y. 



MONTHLIES. 



THE AMERICAN CYCLIST. 50 cents per 
year. P. O. Drawer 9, Hartford, Conn. 

THE CANADIAN WHEELMAN. $1.00 per 

year. Simcoe, Ontario. 

THE WHEELMEN'S GAZETTE. 50 cents 
a year. 39 Lorraine Building, Indianapolis, Ind. 



DIRECTORY TO ADVERTISERS. 



PAGE 

American Cyclist 396 

Avery & Jenness .-. . . 337 and 393 

Bicycling World, 337 and 394 

Bidweil Cycle Co. , Geo. R 339 and 400 

Coventry Machinists Co 341 and xiii 

Elwell European Cycling Tours 393 

Gormully & Jeffery Mfg. Co . . . 343, vi and xiv 

Hulbert Bros. & Co 349 and v 

Overman Wheel Co. 350 and ii 

Pope Mfg. Co 356 and 2d cover 

Premier Cycle Co 363 and 4th cover 

Referee, The 365 and 395 

Spalding & Bros, A. G 365 and 3d cover 

Stover Bicycle Mfg. Co 366 and v 

Warwick Cycle Mfg. Co 367, 394 and xvi 

Wheel, The 395 

Wheelman Company 397, 398, 399 

Wheelmen's Gazette 371 and 396 



*T% 




FOR TANGENT AND DIRECT SPOKES. 

MOST POWERFUL GRIP MADE. 

Price., 7^£> Cents. 

Ask your dealer for it. 

AVERY & JENNESS, 

5756 Madison Ave. CHICAGO. 



THE 

Elwell European Cycling T 

AFFORD THE BEST ILLUSTRATION OF 



ours 



CYCLING FOR HEALTH AND PLEASDRE. 



OUR PARTIES 



Leave New York June 4th. 

For full information, address 

ELWELL & HIGGINS, 

152 Pearl Street. PORTLAND, ME. 



THE ZPILCKBIlVi:. 




WARWICK CYCLE MFG. CO. 



Springfield, Mass. 



Bicycling World and L. A.W. Bulletin 

THE LARGEST CIRCULATION OF ANY 
CYCLING PAPER IN AMERICA. 



CIRCULATION GUARANTEED TO AVERAGE 

24,000 

DURING THE NEXT TWELVE MONTHS. 



The best medium for advertising all classes of goods, 
whether of a cycling, or of a general nature. 

Apply for terms to the 

WHEELMAN COMPANY, 

12 Pearl St., Boston, Mass. 



KEEP ABREAST OF THE TIMES. 




PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY MORNING 

WILL KEEP YOU THERE. 

IT COSTS BUT $2 PER YEAR (10 CENTS PER COPY), 

AND EVERY WHEELMAN AND DEALER WILL 

TELL YOU THAT IT IS THE BEST 

CYCLING PAPER PUBLISHED, 

OR 

YOU CAN GET A SAMPLE 

COPY FOR THE ASKING 

AND JUDGE FOR 

YOURSELF. 



The Referee 



$2.00 Per Year. 

Published Weekly. 



AND 

Cycle 
Trade 
Journal. 



All the Latest and Best TRADE NEWS. 

THE WEEK'S DOINGS IN CYCLEDOM IN A COMPLETE 
BUT COMPACT FORM. 

THE BEST PAPER FOR ADVERTISERS. 

THE CHEAPEST, QUALITY CONSIDERED. 



Referee Publishing Co., 

570, 588 & 590 Caxton Building, 

334 Dearborn St., Chicago. 



THE AMERICAN CYCLIST. 



The American Cyclist, published monthly at 
Hartford, Conn., is one of the breeziest and 
brightest, and certainly one of the most ele- 
gantly gotten up cycling papers in the world. 
Filled with matters on topics of genuine 
interest, and withal superbly illustrated, its ap- 
pearance is monthly anticipated by thousands 
of readers throughout the country. Its editori- 
als are short, spicy, invariably to the point, 
written in the best good English, and often 
quoted on both sides of the Atlantic. The 
circulation of The American Cyclist is double 
that of any other cycling monthly. Its price is 
fifty cents a year, and its subscribers, and like- 
wise its advertisers, get a good deal for their 
money. Sample copies mailed on application. 



FRY ITFCTRONE YEAR. 



'limes 

FOR - 

50 C. 



The Wheelmen's Gazette 
i contains 16 pages of illus- 
jtrations, reading matter and 
"everything pertaining to 

that most delightful sport— 

cycling. 

/ AMF*? are ^ eres ^ e< ^ m * ne Ladie s Depart- 

ment, as conducted by Miss Ellen 

LeGarde, who is well versed in cycling and 

gymnastic npu 77 CM FN fmd much in its 
matters. **" ' " #w " f columns to appeal 
to a refined taste and whether active cyclers 
or not, are interested in it. 
Don't buy a wheel without consulting our adver- 
tising columns. Sample copy free for the asking, 
or send 50 cents for one year or a dollar 
lill for two years subscription. 
Wheelmen's Gazette, Indianapolis, Ind. 



CYCLING 

FOR 

HEALTH M PLEASURE 

A Complete Guide to the Use of the Wheel, 
by 

LUTHER H. PORTER, 

Ex-Representative New Jersey Division, L. A. W., 
Ex-President Orange Wanderers, Ex-President East Orange Cyclers, 

AUTHOR OF 

WHEELS AND WHEELING 

An Indispensable Handbook for Cyclists. 



Cfytfling fof fte^ltt} kiyl f^e^ure 

Is the most practical and comprehensive work on Cycling ever 
written. It is based on a long experience, wide observation, 
and extended reading. The plan and treatment have been 
carefully worked out. It explains the proper function of exer- 
cise and gives the first systematic statement of the reasons why 
cycling is the most health-restoring and health-promoting exer- 
cise known. The development of the bicycle is traced, with 
many illustrations. Full directions are given for learning, 
riding, touring, training, and racing. The positions taken are 
supported by citations from the best authorities. Important 
questions, like Correct Pedaling and Speed and Gearing, are 
treated at length, while seventy-six pages are devoted solely 
to Practical Points. Illustrated, 230 Pages, Paper Covers. 

PRICE 50 CENTS, POSTPAID. 

(Postage Stamps Not Received?) 



THE WHEELMAN COMPANY, 

PUBLISHERS, 
12 PEARL STREET, BOSTON, MASS. 

N. B. — For Contents and Testimonials, see following pages. 



CONTENTS 



OF 



Cycling for Health and Pleasure. 



CYCLING FOR HEALTH —Twenty-two pages devoted to 
an explanation of the reasons why cycling is the most beneficial exer- 
cise ever discovered, giving the opinions of physicians, and the experi- 
ence of men and women. It answers the difficult questions so often 
asked of wheelmen. 

EVOLUTION OP THE BICYCLE.— Twenty-three pages 
devoted to a concise sketch of the development of the bicycle, with 
illustrations. 

LEARNING. — Twenty-four pages giving the most careful and 
detailed instruction for acquiring control of the safety and ordinary 
bicycles, and the tricycle. It is based on practical experience ; is 
judicious and conservative ; and an invalid who will follow its direc- 
tions can easily learn to ride. 

RIDING AND TOURING.— Seventeen pages of pertinent 
suggestions on acquiring strength, style, and stamina in cycling, with 
important hints on preparation for touring, and the necessary outfit 
for it. 

TRAINING. — Fifteen pages on the principles and practices of 
correct training, with liberal quotations from a physician who was also 
a successful racing man. 

CORRECT PEDALING.— Fourteen pages showing by a dia- 
gram the immense mechanical advantage of good ankle action ; ex- 
plaining how it is to be acquired, and calling attention to its almost 
universal absence. 

SPEED AND GEARING.— Twelve pages explaining the 
relations of speed, power, and gearing, and containing curious and 
interesting tables. 

CERTAIN CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES.— Eleven 

pages dealing with the merits of different types of cycles. 

PRACTICAL POINTS.— Seventy-eight pages constituting a 
cyclopedia of cycling subjects arranged in alphabetical order. These 
topics treat concisely of everything pertaining to the sport, and are 
invaluable for reference and consultation. They give almost any 
information that can be desired, and are thoroughly practical. 



WHAT PEOPLE THINK 

OF 

" CYCUNG FOR HEALTH AND PLEASURE." 



"A book which every cyclist should have handy." — Troy Times. 

"This book is the best of the kind ever published." — Bicycling 
World. 

" The best handbook on cycling ever published." — A Practical Cycle 
Rider. 

" Gives all sorts of information, for experts as well as beginners." — 
New York Sun. 

' ' Gives a world of practical advice to the wheelman who would get 
the most comfort, pleasure, and use out of his bicycle." — Boston 
Times. 

(i We heartily advise our wheelmen readers that they can't invest 
fifty cents to better advantage than in this book." — Arkansas Democrat. 

" It will be found an admirable guide, a reliable handbook, and of 
service and value to learners and experts alike." — Boston Saturday 
Evening Gazette. 

"It is the best thing I have ever seen of the kind. I thought I 
knew it all, but I have gotten some pointers from the book that have 
enamored me of its value as a handbook for the tyro or the veteran," 
— An Old-time Wheelman. 

" A practical handbook for the use of novices in the healthful art 
of cycling. It can also be strongly recommended to adepts in the 
sport, as the bright, easy style of the author and the interesting mis- 
cellaneous information he gives cannot fail to interest." — Book Chat. 

" The author has had long experience in cycling, and has found 
exercise on the wheel the only kind which would keep him in good 
health. The book is full of sensible hints in regard to the purchase 
and use of a bicycle, and the best means of getting pleasure and profit 
out of it." — San Francisco Chronicle. 

*' It was to be expected that Mr. Porter would do good work, and 
he has justified the expectation by crowding between the covers of his 
book much valuable matter, covering all branches of the sport, pro- 
ducing not only much original matter, but quoting liberally but 
judiciously from other writers." — The Wheel. 

" The author is thoroughly conversant with all the little intricacies 
of the cycling art, and therefore fully qualified to write on the sub- 
ject, and so forcibly does the work depict the benefits to be derived 
from the pastime that one reads and at once decides to purchase a 
cycle, whatever the cost." — Baltimore American. 



The Tourist. 



An American bicycle without an equal on either side the ocean. 
Perfect in Material, Construction, and Finish. Made at Colt's 
West Armory, Hartford, Conn., under the same system and with the 
same attention to detail followed in the manufacture of their fire arms. 

Weight : \ *° ir£let ^Pounds. \ ™«- **. 
FITTED WITH BIDWELL (THOMAS) PNEUMATIC TIRES. 



The_Student. 

A wheel of excellent quality, fine shape, and good finish, designed 
to meet the demand for a wheel of moderate price. A remarkably 
fine wheel for $100, with Cushion Tires; or $125, with 
Bidwell Pneumatics. 



CATALOGUE SENT ON REQUEST. 



Bidwell (Thomas) Pneumatic Tires 

ARE GENUINE PNEUMATICS. 

Guaranteed against Puncture, Bursting, or Leakage. 

Fitted with these tires you " Take your good roads with you" 



GEORGE R. BIDWELL CYCLE CO., 

270-272 Wabash Avenue, 306-310 West 59th Street, 

CHICAGO. NEW YORK. 



Bicycle Factory : Tire Factory : 

Colt's West Armory, 42-50 West 67th Street, 

Hartford. New York. 



GOOD AS GOLD. 




BIOTCLES 

FOR 1892. 




For Sale by all Victor Agents 

MANUFACTURED BY 

A. G. SPALDING & BROS., 

NEW YORK. PHILADELPHIA. CHICAGO. 

OVERMAN WHEEL CO., 

BOSTON. WASHINGTON. DENVER. SAN FRANCISCO. 
H®* Send for ABT Catalogue, ^H 




CYCLES 

ARE THE BEST, 

BECAUSE THEY ARE 

LIGHT, GRACEFUL, STRONG, 

COMFORTABLE, 

FAST. 

Eleven Patterns for Men, Women, and Youths. 

CUSHION AND PNEUMATIC TIRES. 



PEEMIEES HAVE BEEN 20 YEAES BEFOEE THE PUBLIC. 

ONE HUNDEED THOUSAND SOLD. 

SEND POE CATALOGUE. 



LUCAS' CYCLEALITIES 

THE BEST OF EVERYTHING. 

LAMPS, BELLS, 

CYCLOMETERS, TOE CLIPS, 
PNEUMATIC PUMPS, 

OILERS, WRENCHES, 

CEMENT, ETC., ETC- 



->l PREMIER CYCLE CO. If- 

Send for List. NEW YORK. 



JUH -^0 \%2 



»» L S?«*VOFc~- 




^***>fi95 



9 A 



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